SYSTEMATICS│LABORATORY

Exercise 8:
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Profera
SPONGES

• First of the multicellular phyla

• Radially symmetrical or commonly
asymmetrical metazoans
• Consists of loose aggregation of cells, which
are poorly arranged into tissues
• The body of the sponge is externally
performed by numerous minute incurrent
pores (ostia) for intake of water and by one Grantia l.s
or more large excurrent pores (oscula).
• SPONGOCOEL: a large body cavity wherein
currents may pass through
• Water movement is accomplished by
flagellar action of the choanocyte layer
which lines the spongocoel or certain canals
called flagellated chambers.
• The bodies of sponges are supported by
either crystalline calcareous or siliceous
spicules or sponging fibers.

Class Calcispongiae

• all types of canal system are encountered in

this class (Asconoid, Syconoid, Leuconoid)
• spicules are composed of calcium carbonate Grantia x.s
• have one, three, or four rays
• most are small with tubular or vase shapes
• many are drab in color, but some are bright
yellow, green, red, or lavender

Leucosolenia

Class Hyalospongiae

• glass sponges
• spicules are always of triaxon or six-pointed
type
• some spicules are fused forming skeleton Class Demospongiae
that may be lattice-like and built of long
siliceous fiber
• also known as Class Hexactinellida
• most are radially symmetrical with a vase or
funnel-shaped bodies attached by stalks of
root spicules onto the substrate

• contains 95% of sponge species

• the skeleton may consist of siliceous or
sponging fibers or combination of both
• spicules are siliceous but not six rayed and
may be absent or bound together by
spongin.
o leuconoid body form for all species

Leiodermatium

Diagram of part of a flagellated chamber of

hexactinellids.

Euspongia

Euplectella aspergillum
 • They belong to Phylum Porifera
• They are primitive, sessile, and water-
dwelling filter feeders that pump
water through their matrix to filter out
particulates of food matter.
• Moreover, they do not have internal
organs, muscles, and nerves.
• Their bodies are porous, which are
inhalant pores called Ostia and
Euspongia parts
exhalant pores called oscula.
• They also have a cellular level of
organization.
• Lastly, their body walls consist of
pinacoderm (dermal layer),
choanoderm (gastral layer), and
mesohyl layer (mesenchyme)
• (Manisha, n.d.).

3. What criteria by which the samples can be

differentiated into classes?
• Sponges are divided into classes based
on the composition of their spicules
and skeletal fibers
• Class Calcisponginae are calcareous
sponges with spicules of calcium
Sponge Spicules & Skeleton carbonate. Their spicules are straight
Guide Question (monaxons) or have three or four rays.
• Class Hexactinellida are glass sponges
1. Describe Sponges with six-rayed spicules of silica bound
• the simplest form of multi-cellular together to form a network.
animals and are very diverse that • Lastly, Class Demospongiae are sponges
• comes in a large variety of colors, that have spicules that are siliceous but
shapes, and structural complexities not six-rayed and may be absent or
• they do not have internal organs, bound together by sponging.
muscles, nervous system, or a
circulatory system. 4. What features make the sponges different
• sponges skeletal type adapts well to its from other organisms placed in the animal
particular habitat, allowing it to live on kingdom?
hard rocky surfaces or soft sediments • Unlike other animals, sponges lack true
such as mud and sand. tissues and organs and have no body
• Their strong skeletal structures help symmetry.
sponges withstand the high volume of • The shapes of their bodies are well
water that flows through them each day adapted for the efficient water flow
• (National Oceanic and Atmospheric through their central cavity.
Administration, 2020). • They also lack the ability to move since
they do not have muscles.
2. Enumerate the characteristics common to
all samples presented here.
 • In addition, they do not have a nervous which the choanocyte flagella create the
system which means they do not have current to expel it through a single
brains. osculum.
• They do not have hearts to pump blood • The sycononoid type of water-current
to other parts of their bodies (Joanna, system is characterized by choanocytes
n.d.) that surround fingerlike projections of
the sponge wall. Water enters the
5. Trace the flow of water in each of the three projections directly through pores,
types of canal system. makes its way into the central cavity, or
• Three types of water-current systems of spongocoel, and leaves by way of an
increasingly complex structure may be osculum.
distinguished by the arrangement of • In the leuconoid type, the radial canals
choanocytes and the development of are replaced by numerous small
canals. flagellated chambers in which the
• The simplest, or the asconoid, type is choanocytes are localized. The
characterized thin walls, lack canals, and chambers, scattered throughout the
are perforated by pores where water body of the sponge, have pores through
enters the sponge through these which water passes into a system of
modified dermal pores known as incurrent canals, then into a spongocoel
porocytes and flow into the atrium. by way of excurrent canals. Water enters
very small pores found among the cells
which line the outer surface of the
sponge. After passing through a system
of incurrent canals and cavities, also
lined with pinacocytes, the water
reaches the flagellated chambers, enters
them through openings called
prosopyles, and leaves through other
openings called apopyles. The water is
expelled through the osculum after
passing through a system of excurrent
canals and cavities lined with
pinacocytes (Sarà, 2020).

6. Economic importance of Sponges.

• The economic strength of sponges is
very high because they are used as a
regular diet, medicine, and for several
other purposes – bathing, decor, craft
making, household cleaning.
• They are regarded as water-based
animals and works effectively due to no
presence of harmful toxins. Most
people considered it natural body care
products that are easy to available at an
unbeatable price (Sponge Direct, 2019).

• They have an arrangement of 7. Ecological importance of Sponges.

choanocytes around a central cavity in
• Dolphins will use a marine sponge to
protect themselves while searching for
food. They will grab a sponge from the
seafloor and fit it around their beak to
protect it from chunks of coral or rock
that could hurt them.
• Also, a variety of microorganisms,
worms, crabs and shrimp will inhabit
the cavities in the sponges.
• Sponges also serve as a protection
mechanism for scallops. The sponges
will attach and live on the shell and
protect it from organisms such as
starfish which can damage it
• Sponge grounds add structural
complexity to those areas in the deep-
sea where they occur, providing habitat
and refugia to commercially important
species, supporting food webs, and
maintaining deep-sea biodiversity
(SponGIS, n.d.).