Phylum Porifera

Dr. Priyatha C.V.

 Salient features
• Sponges or pore- bearers
• They are all sessile, aquatic organisms (mostly marine, few are
freshwater)
• Asymmetrically or radially symmetrical metazoans, with cellular grade
of organization, porous body and an internal system of canals.
• Cellular grade of organization – formed of loose aggregation of cells
• Porous body – numerous opening called Ostia or incurrent pores for
the inflow of water
• Internal canal system – for the circulation of water, transport of food
and oxygen.
• Spongocoel or paragastric cavity – the central cavity to which ostia
opened. It opens out by a large passage called osculum.
• Mouth & digestive system - absent
• Choanocytes – unique type of flagellated and collared cells that lines
the spogocoel and the canal system.
• Spicules and spongin fibres – body wall consists of a gelatinous
matrix, supported by silk like elastic substance called spongin fibres
and small bristles of silica or calcium carbonate called spicules.
• High power of regeneration
• Reproduction is both by sexually by producing a flagellated and free
swimming larvae and asexually by fragmentation and budding.
 Classification
• Divided into 3 classes based on the chemical composition
and structure of supporting skeleton.
1.Class Calcarea (Calcispongiae)
e.g.Leucosolenia
2.Class Demospongiae e.g.Spongilla
3.Class Hexactinellida (Hyalospongiae) e.g.Euplectella
I. Class Calcispongiae
 Features
• Calcarea
• These sponges are commonly called calcareous sponges,
since their spicules are formed entirely of calcium carbonate.
• Most primitive of all sponges
• Inhabits at the shallow coastal waters of sea
• Small sized, simple and solitary or colonial.
• Cylindrical or vase like body
• Spicules: monoaxonic (single –rayed) or tetraxonic (four-
rayed)
• Osculum is often fringed with bristles.
• Choanocytes are relatively large.
• Eg.- Luecosolenia, Leucandra, Sycon, Grantia etc.
 Leucosolenia
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Porifera
• Class: Calcarea
• Order: Leucosolenida
• Family: Leucosoleniidae
• Genus: Leucosolenia
• Species: Leucosolenia botryoides
(Ellis & Solander, 1786)
• Simplest forms of sponges – they are small, sedentary,
branching colonial marine sponges
Eg. – L. complicata, L. botryoides, L.variabilis
• Based on the complexity of the network of branching tubes,
Colony may be simple or complex
• Simplest species – Colony consists of a few simple, vase
like vertical tubes or individuals, arising from an irregular
horizontal tubes, which is attached to the substratum via
adhesive pads.
• Each vertical tube encloses a central cavity called
spongocoel or paragastric cavity with a terminal opening
called osculum and numerous ostia on its surface.
• Complex colonies – have a network of branching horizontal
tubes. In most species, the outermost tubes fuse together
forming a false surface or pseudoderm and forms a few large
openings called pseudopores. Such a colony appears solid.
• Each tube of the colony may produce many buds.
• Each main tube contains spongocoel and osculum.
• Body wall is thin
• Outer epidermis called pinacoderm (pinacocytes) and inner
epidermis called choanoderm (choanocytes or collar cells). b/w
two layers, a jelly like non-cellular layer of mesenchyme or
mesoglea secreted by choanocytes. Mesenchyme holds the
sclerites or calcareous spicules in place. Spicules secreted by
scleroblst cells in the mesenchyme.
• Choanocyte is a flagellated oval cell. Flegellum of choanocyte is
surrounded by a contractile and transparent protoplasmic
collar. The nucleus lies at the base of the cell. Beating of
flagellum maintain water current in the body.
• No locomotor power, sensory & nerve cells.
• Feeding by simplest canal system- asconoid type
• Food-plaktons & organic matters
• Beating of flagella carry food via the water current.
• Food ingested to choancocytes or passed directly to
amoebocytes. Digestion occurs within food vacuoles.
Undigested particle washed away via the water current.
• Excess food stored as glycogen, glyco-&lipoprotein in certain
amoebocytes.
• Respiration and excretion takes place via
diffusion.
• Reproduction – sexual or asexual (by
budding) or regeneration
• Sexual – amoebocytes differentiate into
gametes as the organism is hermaphrodite.
when water current carry sperm, internal
cross fertilization occurs.
• It produce ciliated larva called
parenchymula. It swims for few hrs and
then attached to a substratum, develop to
juvenile within few days.
 Simple Complex Pinacoderm Mesoglea Choanoderm

Colony
Body wall

Feeding
Leucosolenia
Respiration &
Excretion
Amoebocytes Ascoid

Reproduction Diffusion
Food vacuole

Regeneration Asexual Sexual

Budding Amoebocytes Parenchymula

II. Calss Demospongiae
 Features
• Largest group of sponges (80%)
• Widely distributed and highly organized
• All are marine, except Spongillidae
• Features
• Large sized, solitary or colonial
• Compact, massive and brightly colored body
• SKELETON
• Spicules – formed of sponging and/or silica only
• Monaxonic or tetraxonic spicules of mega or
microscleres
• Skeleon absent in some
• Spongocoel is practically absent.
• Presence of contractile vacuole in fresh water species, a
feature found in fresh water protozoans.
• Examples: Spongilla, Cliona, Oscarella, Euspongia
 Spongilla
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Porifera
• Class: Demospongillae
• Order: Spongillida
• Family: Spongillidae
• Genus: Spongilla
• Species: Spongilla lacustris
(Lamarck, 1816)
 Features
• Sedentary, branching, and colonial freshwater sponge.
• Green in color du to the presence of green algae Zoochlorella
• Colony has a flat and branching base for attachment.
• Numerous vertical tubes with terminal oscula are arising from the
base.
• Numerous ostia on the surface are open to spongocoel.
• Body wall is thin dermal membrane.
• Rhagon type canal system.
• Skeleton consists of a network of siliceous spicule embedded in
spongin.
• Feeds on algae, aided by canal system. Algal cells are
phagocytized by pinacocytes and choanocytes. Then to
archaeocytes, amoebocytes, and lophocytes.
• Reproduction – sexualy by an unusual free-swimming larva and
asexually by gemmules.
• Amoebocytes or archaeocytes are totipotent cells found in
mesoglea of sponges. They have varied functions such as transport
of digested food from choanocytes to other cells, delivering sperm
to egg and can transform into specific cells. The egg cell is formed
from amoebocytes for sexual reproduction.
CLASS - HYALOSPONGIAE
(HEXACTINELLIDA)
• Hyalospongiae includes the sponges, commonly called "glass
sponges," since their skeleton is some what glassy.
• They are mostly deep sea forms, living in the dark and cold abyssal
depths. Solitary forms with cylindrical or funnel-shaped body having
marvellous asymmetry and structural complexity.
• The outer layer and the inner flagellated layer of the body wall are
syncytial rather than cellular.
• Contractile elements are absent in the body wall.
• Glass-like silicious skeleton, formed mostly of hexaxonic (six-rayed)
spicules (hence the name "hexactinelliada"). In some cases, the
spicule fuse to form a lattice-like skeleton.
• Simple canal system.
• Examples: Euplectella, Hyalonema, Pheronema.
 Euplectella
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Porifera
• Class: Hyalospongillae
• Order: Lyssacinosida
• Family: Euplectellidae
• Genus: Euplectella
• Species: Euplectella aspergillum
(Lamarck, 1816)
 Features
• Glass sponge or Venus flower basket – glassy latticework ok of
fused siliceous spicules
• Solitary, marine sponge –attached to rocky substratum below 500m
from sea surface.
• Cylindrical, thin walled and curved.
• Oscular sieve – closed the upper end, formed of fused spicules
• Lower end – anchoring siliceous root spicules
• Spongocoel present and its large- that encloses crustacean
commensals such as Spongicola venusta
• No epidermis of pinacoderm
• Skeleton- siliciuos tetraxon or hexaxon spicules bound together
by silicious cement.
• Projecting ledges of spicules encircling the cylinder. The meshwork
of spicules contains many openings or parietal gaps, connected to
spongocoel. But, they are not a part of the canal system.
• Flagellated chambers lie radially in the sponge wall
 Canal system in sponges
• It’s a system of pores, canals, and cavities through
which water enters the body from outside, circulates
within body, and passes out.
• It helps in excretion, respiration, nutrition and
reproduction.
• It increases the surface area that is in contact with
the water.
• There are usually three major types of canal system
met within sponges, viz., asconoid type, syconoid
type, leuconoid type, and a less frequen one
called rhagonoid type.
 1. Asconoid Type
• Asconoid type of canal system is the simplest of all the types.
• In this type, 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 epithlium with a mesenchyme
between.
• The outer or dermal epithelium 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.
• Each pore is intracellular, i.e., it is a canal through a tubular cell called
a porocyte.
• The water current driven by the flagella of the choanocytes passes
through the incurrent pores into the spongocoel and escape out
through the osculum furnishing in its passage food and oxygen and
carrying away metabolic wastes.
• The water current in the
asconoid sponges follow the
following route:-
Outside Ostia

Osculum Spongocoel

• Asconoid type of canal system

is found only in few sponges,
e.g., Olynthus, Leucosolenia.
 2. Syconoid Type
• Syconoid type of canal system is the a grade 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 and its
opening to spongocoel is called internal ostia or apopyle.
• In primitive forms, these radial canals are free projections and the outside
water surrounds their whole length, for there are no definite incurrent
channels.
• But in most advanced syconoid sponges, the walls of radial canals fuse in
such a manner as to leave between them tubular spaces called the
incurrent canals which open to the exterior by apertures termed dermal
ostia or dermal pores.
• The incurrent canals represent the original outer surface of the
asconoid sponge and they are lined by epidermis.
• Radial canals are lined by choanocytes and hence called flagellated
canals.
• The wall between the incurrent and the radial canals is pierced by
numerous minute pores called prosopyles.
• The interior of the syconoid sponge is hollow and forms a large
spongocoel which is lined by the flat epithelium derived from
epidermis.
• The spongocoel opens to the exterior by the single terminal osculum.
• The syconoid structures occurs in two main stages – early stage and
final stage.
• The early stage found in a few heterocoelous calcareous sponges, like
Sycon.
• In final stage, the epidermis and mesenchyme spread over the outer surface
forming a thin or thick cortex often containing special cortical spicules. The
epidermis become pierced by more definite pores, which lead to narrow
incurrent canals.

Outside Dermal pores Incurrent canals Prosopyles

Osculum Spongocoel Apopyles Radial canals

 3. Leuconoid Type
• More advanced and complex than earlier two.
• It’s a modification of syconoid structure in a way that include
increased out folding of the choanoderm and thickening of
body wall.
• The choanoderm of radial canal of the syconoid stage evaginates
into clusters of small rounded or flagellated chambers, which
replace the elongated radial canals of the syconoid stage.
• Choanocytes are limited to these chambers.
• Mesenchyme fills the spaces around the flagellated chambers.
• The spongocoel usually eliminated and the whole sponge
becomes irregular in structure and form.
• The interior of the sponge becomes permeated by many incurrent
and excurrent canals. Small excurrent canals join to form larger
excurrent canals and spaces which lead to the osculum.
• The outer surface is covered with epidermal epithelium and
pierced by many dermal pores (ostia).
• The dermal pores lead into incurrent canals that branch
irregularly through the mesenchyme.
• The incurrent canals lead into the small rounded flagellated
chambers through prosopyles.
 • The flagellated chambers open by apertures called apopyles into
excurrent channels, and these unite to form larger and larger tubes, of
which the largest lead to the osculum.
• Eg.- Oscarella, Spongilla
Outside Dermal pores /ostia Incurrent canals Prosopyles

Large Excurrent Flagellated

Osculum Apopyles
channels canals chambers
Special features

1. Choanocytes are limited to small, flagellated chambers.

2. Mesenchyme is highly developed
3. Complex incurrent and excurrent canals
4. Very efficient course of water current system.
5. Spongocoel is replaced by excurrent canal
 4. Rhagon Type
• This type of canal system is found in demospongiae which in turn arises
by direct rearrangement of the inner cell mass.
• 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 called
spongophare. They are the only chambers lined by choanocytes.
• The oval flagellated chambers open into spongocoel via excurrent
canals and wide apopyle.
• Between these chambers and the epidermis lies a thick mass of
mesenchyme, crossed by incurrent canals and subdermal spaces,
which extended below the entire surface of the body.
• Ostia opens into subdermal spaces.
• Branching incurrent canals lead from the sub-dermal spaces into
small flagellated chambers, which are formed by the breaking down of
radial canal.
• Excurrent canals leads to spongocoel from flagellated chambers.
 Subdermal Incurrent
Outside Ostia Prosopyles
space canals

Excurrent Flagellated
Osculum Spongocoel Apopyles chambers
canals
 Reproduction & Development
Amphiblast
Gemmules Fission Coeloblastula -ula

Exogenous Parenchym-
Asexual budding Sexual ula

Reductio Trichimella
n bodies
• Most are hermaphroditic or monoecious.
• Sperm leaves a sponge via the osculum, and enters a sponge by the currents
generated from the choanocytes.
• Fertilized eggs develop into ciliated free-swimming larvae called
parenchymula larvae
• Sponges can reproduce asexually by fragmentation
 Sexual
• Hermaphrodite
• Cross fertilization – ova retained in the parent body, but sperms are released to
out via osculum.
• Fertilization – internal
• 2 type development
• Oviparous – release zygote & development is external (Eg. Cliona)
• Larviparous – release free swimming larvae & development is internal initially within the
brood capsule in mesenchyme/mesoglea.
• 4 type larvae – coeloblastula, amphiblastula, parenchymula and trichimella
Larvae

Coeloblastula

Trichimella
 Coeloblastula
• In simple calcareous sponges.
• Its a hollow sphere, consists of a single layer of
flagellated cells around a central cavity called
blastocoel.
• All cells are same. But, some at the surface lose
flagella and become amoeboid. They detach to the
blastocoel and divide and fill the cavity.
• They become a solid mass of cells called
stereoblastula, attach to substratum and develop
into adult.
 Amphiblastula
• A hollow ball of two types of cells – anterior flagellated cells and
posterior non-flagellated granular cells.
• Found in some calcareous & in some demosponges.
• Development
• 16 cell stage – embryo form a flat disc of 2 tier of cells – prospective
choanoderm (next to maternal cells) and prospective epiderm.
• Prospective choanoderm divide and develops flagellated cells on the
inner side.
• Prospective epidermis become a group of large cells or disc.
• In b/w the center a break appears & this stage is called stomoblastula,
which undergoes invasion via the break and turns inside out.
• As a result, flagellated cells come out and a hollow ball of cells is formed
with anterior flagellated cells and posterior non-flagellated granular cells –
called amphiblastula
• Enclosed to trophic membrane of parent to get nutrients.
• During post-embryonice development, they undergo embolic gastrulation
by which flagellated cells gets inside and non-flagellated cells spread out.
• Finds a substratum and develop to adult.
 Parenchymula
• It’s a characteristic of free-swimming flagellated larva of some calcareous
sponges.
• It’s a solid mass of cells consists of outer layer of flagellated cells, inner core
of amoeboid cells (such as pinacocytes, sclerocytes, collencytes and
archaeocytes), and two non-flagellated polar cells (posterior granular cells).
• Two types of development - stereoblastula and coeloblastula.
• Stereoblastula – a solid mass of cells, whose outer layer gradually flagellated
and arranged in single layer to enclose the cell mass.
• Coeloblastula – cleavage results in hollow ball of cells, consisting a single
layer of flagellated cells arranged around a central blastocoel. Then its form
stereoblastula.
• Detached larvae attaches to a substarate and undergo metamorphosis.
 Trichimella
• It represents flagellated stereoblastula with a band of flagellated cells around
the equator of larval body.
• Has an outer flagellated and inner yolk filled cells and sclerocytes.
• Larvae are lecithotrophic/ yolk-feeders and hence short living.
• Released at dawn in response to light.
 Asexual
• 1. FISSION
• Splitting of parent body and into pieces. Each piece develop into new
individual.
• Lost part of the parent regenerate.
• 2. EXOGENOUS BUDDING/ GEMMATION
• Here, amoebocytes crowded to the surface enclosed by pinacocytes as a bud.
• Develop into adult and detaches from the parent body in solitary forms.
• In colonial forms, they remain attached to the colony or detaches and form
new colonies.

• 3. REDUCTION BODIES
• Small, spherical cellular masses, released by disintegration of the body of a
sponge during adverse conditions.
• It contains inner mass of amoebocytes covered by pinacoderm or buds.
• Freshwater and marine forms
• 4. GEMMULES
• Asexual endogenous buds of sponges, active after the death of parent.
• Many of the freshwater sponges can produce via asexual bodies called
gemmules, aggregations of cells that are enclosed in hard outer covering
containing spicules.
• Freshwater and marine.
• Food laden packet of multinucleate mesenchymal archaeocytes within
a membranous bag, enclosed by a hard protective covering or shell.
Gemmule
• Trophocytes – special nurse cell supply reserve proteins to archaeocytes.
• Amoebocytes- secretes shell and strengthened by spicules
• Micropyle – passage to out
• Development
• Some aracheocytes develops into histoblast (uninucleate)
• Membraneous coat grows to foraminal tube or neck into micropyle.
• Through which archeocytes and histoblast come out, where the later
develops into body and the former develops into scleroblast (sclerites)
and some remains embryonic.
 The Skeleton
• In the mesohyl (or mesoglea) is the skeleton composed of tiny pointed
structures made of silica or calcium carbonate called spicules.
• These structures act as an internal scaffolding, but also function in
protection
• Among some sponges the skeleton consist of spongin fibers made of
collagenous material; found in many of the commercial sponges
 Body layers
• 1. The pinacoderm - an outer layer of flattened
cells called pinacocytes.
• They are flat epithelial-like cells.
• Pinacocytes are somewhat contractile.
• Some are myocytes that help regulate flow of water.
• 2. An inner lining containing flagellated cells
(choanocytes) - draw water in through the pores
and move out through the osculum; also trap food
particles that are suspended in the water.
• The water current is also used for gas exchange,
removal of wastes, and release of the gametes
• These are oval cells with one end embedded in mesohyl.
• The exposed end has a flagellum surrounded by a collar.
• A collar is made of adjacent microvilli forming a fine
filtering device to strain food.
• Particles too large to enter the collar are trapped in
mucous and moved to the choanocyte where they are
phagocytized.
• Food engulfed by choanocytes is passed to neighboring
archaeocytes for digestion.
• Between the pinacodern and the choanocytes is a
gelatinous material called mesohyl; contains several
different kinds of wandering cells called amoeboid cells
• 3. Archaeocytes are amoeboid cells that phagocytize
food particles; they can also undergo differentiation to
form other cells, including cells that produce spicules
and gametes.
•These cells move about in the mesoglea.
•They phagocytize particles in the pinacoderm.
•They can differentiate into any other type of cell.
•Those called sclerocytes secrete spicules.
•Spongocytes secrete sponging.
•Collencytes secrete fibrillar collagen and are having
thread like pseudopodia.
•Lophocytes secrete lots of collagen but may look like
collencytes.
Thank you……