What are Sea Sponges? Their is a common misconception that Sea sponges are plants. In fact Sea Sponges are one of the worlds most simplistic multi celled organisms, a sponges scientific name is porifera. Porifera literally translates to "pore-bearing." Sponges come in all different shapes, colors, sizes and textures. In fact there are over 5,000 sponges known to exist but only 12 are used for commercial use. Sponges where confused with coral and other plant life until the 1700's, when a Greek philosopher renamed sponges to "Zoofitan." This translates to half animal half plant. But in fact Sponges are all animal, They live without a brain, digestive, circulatory, or central nervous systems. A sponge still eats food even without a digestive system. The sponge will plant itself on a stationary object and let the ocean current move small organisms through the sponge. The sponge then filters out the water and eats the organisms. A sea Sponge will reproduce asexually using a process called budding. A single sponge will start having abnormal growths off the side of it and its is forming a new sponge. That is a sea sponge, a very simple multi cellular pore bearing animal.
Inc., The Sea Sponge Company™. "What Are Sea Sponges?" The Sea Sponge Company™ Inc. The Sea Sponge Company™ Inc., n.d. Web. 20 June 2017.
That is fascinating that there are over 5,000 sponges known to exist. I never knew that only 12 are used for commercial use. I have always confused sponges and coral. It's good to know that sponges are all animal.
ReplyDeleteI did not know very much about sponges until now, they seem very interesting
ReplyDeleteI think it's very interesting how the sponge can operate without a brain and still is able to function. I also was fascinated by the way the sponge takes in foods by placing itself on the ocean floor allowing the current to moves foods through it. Good stuff Ben.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot about sponges that i have never learned before. I think its interesting they only use a couple of sponges out of thousands
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot about sponges that i have never learned before. I think its interesting they only use a couple of sponges out of thousands
ReplyDelete