PHYLUM Porifera

PHYLUM: PORIFERA
• Derivation of name: (Gr. porus=pore; ferre=to

bear)
• Common name: Sponges
• Parazoology: Study of sponges
• Robert E. Grant coined the term Porifera
• Sponges are called ‘Republic of cells’.
• Sponges are 1st multicellular animals.
General Characters
• Habitat: They are all aquatic, mostly marine and
fresh water (e.g. Spongilla).
• They are sessile, sedentary and may be solitary or
colonial. Larvae are free living.
• Pores: Body is perforated by two types of pores;
ostia and osculum.
• Ostia are smaller and numerous used for entry of
water also called inhalant pores.
• Oscula are larger and few used for exit of water
also called exhalent pores.
• Body organization: First metazoans with cellular
grade of organization and cell aggregate body
plan.
• Body forms: Body is elongated, cylindrical, vae
like, branching and irregular.
• Symmetry: Mostly asymmetrical and few are
radially symmetrical e.g. Leucosolenia
• Germ layers: Diploblastic animal. The body is
derived from outer ectoderm (pinacoderm) and
inner endoderm (chaonaderm).
• Coelom: Acoelomate
• Body wall: It consists of three layers;
a) Pinacoderm: Outer layer of pinacocytes and
porocytes
b) Choanoderm: Inner layer of highly specialized
flagellated choanocytes or collar cells
c) Mesenchyme: Middle cellular ge;atinous matrix with
amoebocytes, collagen fibre and spicules.
• Body cavity: The body cavity is called spongocoel or
paragatric cavity lined by choanocytes.
• Water canal system: It is special type of canal system
formed by pores and canals used for ingestion,
respiration, excretion and egestion. It is also called
aquiferous system and is life line for sponge.
• Canal system may be
a) Ascon type: Simplest and primitive type. Flow or
water; water-ostia- spongocoel-osculum-out. E.g.
Leucosolenia
b) Sycon type: It is more complex type. Flow of water;
water-ostia-incurrent canal-prosopyle-radialcanal-
apopyle-spongocole- osculum-out e.g. Sycon
c) Leucon type: It formed by folding of body wall. Flow
of water; water-ostia-incurrent canal- prosopyle-
radial canal-apopyle-excurrentn canal-spongocoel-
osculum-out e.g. Spongilla
d) Rhagon type: It is found during larval stage and is
changed into leucon type in adult.
• Endoskeleton: Sponges bear three types of
endoskeleton (spicules).
a) Calcerous: Made up of calcium carbonate,
strongest and hardest spicule.
b) Siliceous: Made up of silica
c) Spongin fibres: Protenious fibres, softest
spicules.
• Nutrition: Holozoic and intracellular digestion.
• Respiration and excretion: Occurs through
general body surface. Ammonia chief excretory
waste.
• Reproduction: They are hermaphrodite. Asexual
reproduction by regeneration, budding and
gemmule ( internal bud) formation. Archaeocytes
form gemmule in fresh water sponge like
Spongilla.
• Development: It is indirect with free swimming
ciliated larval forms; amphiblastula (hollow larva)
and parenchymula (solid larva).
• Regeneration: sponges have great power of
regeneration that was observed by H.W. Wilson.
• Archaeocyte are totipotent cells of sponges
responsible for regeneration.
CLASSIFICATION
Phylum Porifera is divided into three classes on the basis
of chemical nature of endoskeleton.
a) Class: Calcarea
• Presence of calcareous spicule.
• Dull coloured and exclusively marine.
• Inhabits shallow water.
• Canal system ascon or sycon.
• Choanocytes are large.
• Body is cylindrical or vase shaped.
• Examples; Sycon (crown sponge), Leucosolenia
(smallest sponge), Grantia
b) Class: Hexactinellida
• Exclusively marine.
• Presence of siliceous spicules.
• Spicules are tiaxon with six rays.
• Canal system leucon .
• Choanocytes are small.
• Body is cup or funnel shaped.
• Examples; Euplectella (venus flower basket),
Hyalonema (glass rope sponge), Pheronema
(bowl sponge)
c) Class: Demospongiae
• Marine as well as fresh water.
• Body is compact, massive and brightly coloured.
• Presence of siliceous spicules or spongin fibres or
both or none (Oscarella).
• Canal system leucon.
• Choanocytes are small.
• Examples; Cliona (boring sponge), Euspongia (bath
sponge), Spongilla (fresh water sponge).

PHYLUM Porifera

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PHYLUM: PORIFERA

• Derivation of name: (Gr. porus=pore; ferre=to

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