![]() A diverse sponge population can affect water quality on the reef as the sponges filter water, collect bacteria, and process carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Regardless of these differences, sponges are important inhabitants of coral reef ecosystems. While most sponges are found in the ocean, numerous species are also found in fresh water and estuaries. All corals require saltwater to survive.Sponges are very simple creatures with no tissues. Corals are complex, many-celled organisms.While sponges, like corals, are immobile aquatic invertebrates, they are otherwise completely different organisms with distinct anatomy, feeding methods, and reproductive processes. The approximately 8,550 living sponge species are scientifically classified in the phylum Porifera, which is comprised of four distinct classes: the Demospongiae (the most diverse, containing 90 percent of all living sponges), Hexactinellida (the rare glass sponges), Calcarea (calcareous sponges), and Homoscleromorpha (the rarest and simplest class, only recently recognized, with approximately 117 species). Sponges have been around for a very long time, with certain species having a fossil record that dates back approximately 600 million years to the earliest (Precambrian) period of Earth’s history. Scientists believe that their varied colorations may protect them from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. This photo was labeled as a sponge in a respected biology textbook,īut in fact it is a colonial tunicate, not sponge.Oops!!! Tunicates areįor closeup, or go to p.Sponges are found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes and are often mistaken for plants. ![]() Note: Some things that superficially look like spongesĪre not. defenses against predators: toxins and brightĨ.(And here is another BEAUTIFUL video showing how abundant and how LARGE sponges can be! ) Beautiful video of French angelfish and grey angelfish grazing on sponges in the Caribbean!.For photos of attractive marine angelfish.sponges are food for various nudbranchs, sea.Photo of zooanthid anemones that live on sponges (these particular anemones live no-where else!).info on sociality infsnapping shrimp: article.Of snapping shrimp and further information sponges are home to many animals, includingīrittlestars, polychete worms, snapping shrimp, anemones, and many others:.many can move to new locations by dissassembly-reassembly (see: chicken.Variety in form (see diagrams in web article) symbiotic algae are common in sponges (e.g.water currents perpendicular to oscula aid.small food particles trapped (mostly bacteria).Skeletal components, most have 2 or 3 types (which sorts of sponges are skeletal elements -protein and spicules (see.collar cells (choanocytes) - create water.amoeboid cells - wander about, make spicules.Major cell types and structural features: Best described as a colony of protist-like cellsģ. some species in freshwater (unpolluted)Ģ.Sponges are sessile animals with simple body structure In addition to your text, please read the following:Īlso, if you are in my Bio 351 class (Invertebrate Biology), see the additional diagrams and photos here:ġ. Ways that members of that group solve these fundamental problems that are Processing information about surroundings (bothįor each group of animals that we study (andįor the microbes, fungi, and plants we have already studied) consider the Internal communication and coordination of activitiesĩ. Procurement of raw materials for growth and maintenance
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