Canal System in Sponges:

The body wall of the sponges is folded to produce a complex system of pores and canals
for the entrance of water current. Depending upon the arrangement of these canals in sponges, the
canal system is of many types. But, there are usually four types of canal system met within
sponges, they are,

• Asconoid type
• Syconoid type
• Leuconoid type.
• Rhagon type
1.Asconoid Type
Asconoid type of canal system is the simplest of all the types. In this there is a radially
symmetrical vase-like body consisting of a thin wall enclosing a large central cavity the
spongocoel opening at the summit by the narrowed osculum.
The wall is composed of an outer and inner epithelium with a mesenchyme between. The
outer or dermal epithelium here termed epidermis consists of a single layer of flat cells. The inner
epithelium, lining the spongocoel, is composed of choanocytes. The mesenchyme contains
skeletal spicules and several types of amoebocytes, all embedded in a gelatinous matrix.
The wall of the asconoid sponge is perforated by numerous microscopic apertures termed
incurrent pores or ostia which extend from the external surface to the spongocoel. Eachpore is
intracellular, i.e., it is a canal through a tubular cell called a porocyte.

Asconoid type of canal system-Eg -Leucosolenia

The water current impelled by the flagella of the choanocytes passes through the
incurrent pores into the spongocoel and out through the osculum.Furnishing in its passage food
and oxygen and carrying away metabolic wastes. Asconoid type of canal system is found only in
few sponges, e.g., Olynthus, Leucosolenia.
The course of water current
water from exterior → incurrent pores → spongocoel → osculum → water out
According to Hyman, the important features of the asconoid structure are the simple wall
and the complete continuous lining epithelium of choanocytes, interrupted only by the inner ends
of the porocytes. The asconoid type of sponge superficially resembles a typical gastrula.

2. Syconoid Type:
Syconoid type of canal system is the first stage above the asconoid type. It is formed by
the out-pushing of the wall of an asconoid sponge at regular intervals into finger-like projections,
called radial canals.
At first these radial canals are free projections and the outside water surrounds their
whole length, for there are no definite incurrent channels. But in most syconoid sponges, the
walls of the radial canals fuse in such a manner as to leave between them tubular spaces, the
incurrent canals, which open to the exterior between the blind outer ends of the radial canals by
apertures termed dermal ostia or dermal pores.

Syconoid type of canal system (Early stage without cortex)

Since these incurrent canals represent the original outer surface of the asconoid sponge,
they are necessarily lined by epidermis. Radial canals being the outpushings of the original
spongocoel are necessarily lined by choanocytes and are, therefore, better called flagellated
canals.
The interior of the syconoid sponge is hollow and forms a large spongocoel which is
lined by the flat epithelium derived from epidermis. The openings of the radial canals into the
spongocoel are termed internal ostia. The syconoid sponges retain the radial vase form of the
asconoids and the spongocoel opens to the exterior by the single terminal osculum.
 The wall between the incurrent and the radial canals, is pierced by numerous minute
pores called prosopyles.
The water current in syconoid sponges takes the following route
Dermal pores → incurrent canals → prosopyles → radial canals → internal ostia
(apopyles) → spongocoeL → osculum → out
The syconoid sponges differ from the asconoid type in two important particulars:
(i) In the thick folded walls containing alternating incurrent and radial canals and
(ii) In the breaking of the choanocyte layer, which no longer lines the whole interior but
is limited to certain definite chambers (radial canals).

Final syconoid canal system (with cortex)

The syconoid structure occurs in two main stages. The first type illustrated in a few of the
heterocoelous calcareous sponges, especially members of the genus Sycon. In the second stage,
the epidermis and mesenchyme spread over the outer surface forming a thin or thick cortex often
containing special cortical spicules. The epidermis becomes pierced by more definite pores than
lead into narrowed incurrent canals.
3. Leuconoid Type:
As a result of further process of out folding of the choanocyte layer and thickening of
body wall, the leuconoid type of canal system develops. The choanocyte layer of the radial canal
of the syconoid stage evaginates into many small chambers, and these may repeat the process, so
that clusters of small rounded or oval flagellated chambers replace the elongated chambers of the
syconoid stage.
 The choanocytes are limited to these chambers. Mesenchyme fills in the spaces around
the flagellated chambers. The spongocoel is usually obliterated and the whole sponge becomes
irregular in structure and indefinite in form. The interior of the sponge becomes permeated by
many incurrent and ex-current canals join to form larger ex-current canals and spaces which lead
to the oscula.The surface is covered with epidermal epithelium and is pierced by many dermal
pores (ostia) and oscula.
The dermal pores lead into incurrent canals that branch irregularly through the
mesenchyme. The incurrent canals lead into the small rounded flagellated chambers by opening
still termed prosopyles. The flagellated chambers open by apertures called apopyles into ex-
current channels, and these unite to form larger and larger tubes, of which the largest lead to the
oscula.

Leuconoid type of canal system with eurypylous chambers

The main characteristics of the leuconoid type of canal system are the limitation of the
choanocytes to small chambers, the great development of the mesenchyme, and the complexity of
the incurrent and excurrent canals.
The course of water current
Dermal ostia → incurrent canals → prosodus (if present) → prosopyles → flagellated
chambers → apopyles → aphodus (if present) → excurrent canals → larger channels → oscula
→ out
The leucon type of canal system is very efficient and most sponges are built on the
leuconoid plan and they attain a considerable size.
They are always irregular in structure but the flow of the current of the water is fairly
rapid and efficient. The leuconoid type of canal system exhibits numerous variations but presents
three stages of evolution, viz., eurypylous, aphodal, and diplodal.
 Leuconoid type of canal system Leuconoid type of canal system With
With aphodal chambers diplodal chambers
(a) Eurypylous:
In the eurypylous leuconoid type of canal system, the flagellated chambers are wide and
thimble-shaped, each opening directly into the excurrent canal by a wide aperture called apopyle
and receive the water supply direct from the incurrent canal through the prosopyle.
The current of water takes the following route
Dermal pores or ostia → subdermal spaces → incurrent canals → prosopyles →
flagellated chambers → apopyles —> excurrent canals spongocoel → oscula → out
This type of canal system is found in Leucilla.
(b) Aphodal:
In the aphodal leuconoid type of canal system, the flagellated chambers are small and
rounded. The opening of each flagellated chamber into the excurrent canal is drawn out into a
narrow tube, usually not of great length, termed aphodus. The relation of the flagellated chambers
to the incurrent canals remain as before.
The route of water current is as follows
Dermal pores or ostia → subdermal space → incurrent canals → prosopyles →
flagellated chambers → aphodus → excurrent canals→ spongocoel → oscula → out
This type of canal system is found in Geodia and Stelleta.
(c) Diplodal:
In some cases there is also a narrow current tube, the prosodus between the incurrent
canal and the flagellated chambers, such a condition is called diplodal. This type of canal system
is found in Oscarella, Spongilla, etc.
The current of water takes the following route:
Dermal pores or ostia → subdermal spaces → incurrent canals → prosodus → flagellated
chambers → aphodus → excurrent canals → spongocoel → oscula → out.
4.Rhagon
In calcareous sponges, the leuconoid structure may be attained by way of asconoid and
syconoid stages. But in Demospongiae it is derived from a stage termed a rhagon which in turn
arises by direct rearrangement of the inner cell mass.

Rhagon larva V.S showing rhagon type of canal system

The rhagon type of sponge has a broad base and it is conical in shape with a single
osculum at the summit. The basal wall is termed the hypophare which is devoid of flagellated
chambers. The upper wall bearing a row of small, oval flagellated chambers is called
spongophare.
Spongocoel is bordered by oval flagellated chambers opening into it by wide apopyles.
Between the chambers and the epidermis lies a considerable thickness of mesenchyme traversed
by incurrent canals and subdermal spaces. Dermal pores or ostia open into sub-dermal spaces
which extend below the entire surface of the body.Eg-spongilla
Spongilla

Spongilla –Diagrammatic vertical section showing rhagon type of canal system

 Branching incurrent canals lead from the sub-dermal spaces into small flagellated
chambers which have been formed by breaking down of radial canal, the flagellated chambers
alone are lined by choanocytes. From the flagellated chambers ex-current canals lead into a
spongocoel.
The incurrent and ex-current canals may be complex and branched. The spongocoel
opens by a single osculum.
The course of current of water is
Ostia→ sub-dermal spaces → incurrent canals → prosopyles → flagellated chambers →
apopyles → ex-current canals → spongocoel → osculum → out.
Functions of Canal System:
The canal system helps the sponges in nutrition, respiration, excretion and reproduction.
The current of water which flows through the canal system brings the food and oxygen and takes
away the carbon dioxide, nitrogenous wastes and faeces.
It carries the sperms from one sponge to another for fertilisation of the ova. The canal
system also increases the surface area of the sponges in contact with the water and, thus, enables
the sponges to increase their volume as surface volume ratio must remain fixed.

REFERENCE BOOKS:
1. Dr.Veer Bala Rastogi
2. E.L.Jordan
3. P.S.Verma