“Porifera : Spicules

+ Canal System”
A presentation compiled
from various sources by
Dr. PARVISH PANDYA,
Zoology Dept. Bhavan’s College, Andheri.
Dr. PARVISH PANDYA’s presentation
Sites from which presentations have been downloaded and later editted.
I am indeed thankful to them for their kindness and support :
http://esg-www.mit.edu:8001/esgbio/cb/org/organelles.html
http://faculty.pnc.edu/jcamp/parasit/parasit.html
http://www.amnh.org/rose/hope/creatinghope/
http://www.biology.eku.edu/SCHUSTER/bio%20141/POWERPOINT
%20NOTES/Intro%20to%20Protozoa_files/fullscreen.htm
http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~zoology/eeob405/
http://www.tulane.edu/~wiser/protozoology/pwpt/
http://www.iep.water.ca.gov/suisun/photos/wildlife.html
http://www.uta.edu/biology/marshall/2343/
http://www.uta.edu/biology/faculty/faculty.html
http://www.okc.cc.ok.us/biologylabs/Documents/Zoology/PowerPoint.htm
http://bio.fsu.edu/
http://www.aw-bc.com/
http://www.nhm.org/
http://www.geo.cornell.edu/eas/education/course/descr/EAS302/presentations/

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Dr. PARVISH PANDYA’sZoology….
presentation
 PHYLUM
PORIFERA

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 Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Simple Sponge Morphology

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 Phylum Porifera - Sponges
• Mostly marine, but include some freshwater inhabitants;
usually found attached to the substratum in shallow or
deep water.
• They are sessile; permanently attached to the substrate
• Obtain their food by filter feeding

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General Morphology
• The internal cavity is called the atrium or spongocoel
• Water is drawn into it through a series of incurrent pores or
dermal ostia present in the body wall into a central cavity and then
flows out of the sponge through a large opening at the top called the
osculum

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Dr. PARVISH PANDYA’s presentation
 Spicule

• Skeleton of sponge
– Calcium carbonate
– Silicon
– Collagen

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The Skeleton
In the mesohyl 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

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Archeocyte

• Amoeboid cells
• Receive food from
choanocytes
• Differentiate into other
cell types

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Sclerocyte

• Produce spicules

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Asconoid Sponge

Osculum
Spongocoel
Ostium
Porocyte

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 Phylum Porifera- Asconoid Type Sponge:

This simplest sponge type has it’s choanocytes located in it’s

spongocoel. Note buds (asexual reproduction) and many oscula (plural
of osculum) on this slide. [fig 1.3-A] PANDYA’s presentation
Dr. PARVISH
 Phylum Porifera-
Asconoid Type Sponge:
note spicules, spongocoel,
osculum & bud [fig 1.3-A]

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Phylum Porifera- Asconoid Type Sponge:
This simplest sponge type has it’s choanocytes located in it’s
spongocoel. Its also a small sponge type. [fig 1.3-A]
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Types of Sponges (Canal
Systems)

A. Asconoid Sponges

• Simple vase-like structure

• This structure puts limitations on size;
(increase in volume without a
corresponding increase in the surface area
of the choanocytes)

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 Syconoid Sponge
Osculum

Spongocoel
Incurrent Canal
Radial Canal
Ostium
Choanocytes

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 Syconoid Sponge
Scypha (Grantia) xs

Spongocoel

Radial Canal
Incurrent Canal Choanocytes

Ostium

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 Phylum Porifera- Syconoid Type Sponge:

An example of a syconoid-type sponge.This sponge type has it’s choanocytes

located in its radial canals. Note the prominent
Dr. PARVISH spicules [fig 1.4]
PANDYA’s presentation
Types of Sponges (Canal Systems)
cont.

B. Synconoid Sponges

• The flagellated choanocyte

layer has undergone folding
forming finger like projections
• There is a single osculum but
the body wall is more complex,
with water being received
through incurrent canals, which
pass it along to radial canals
through to the spongocoel
• Results in an increase in the
surface area which allowed
sponges to increase in the size
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 A

Phylum Porifera-Syconoid Type Sponge:

a longitudinal & cross-sectional view. Note the osculum (A), spongocoel,
radial canals & the choanocytes lining the radial canals. A magnified view
Dr. PARVISH PANDYA’s presentation
of a radial canal showing individual choanocytes is included. [fig 1.4]
Phylum Porifera-Syconoid Type Sponge (CS):
This is a close-up of a cross-section through the radial canals of a
syconoid-type sponge. Note the radial canals, the choanocytes lining
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canals, & osculum [fig 1.4]
 Leuconoid Osculum
Sponge
Excurrent canal
Incurrent pore
Incurrent canal
Choanocyte
chamber

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Phylum Porifera- Leuconoid Type Sponge:

These are examples of the most complex sponge type. The choanocytes
are located in the many flagellated chambers. Any large sponge is most
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likely a leuconoid- type sponge.
Types of Sponges (Canal Systems)
cont.

C. Leuconoid Sponges

• No atrium; several small

chambers in which choanocytes
are located
• There is a whole series of
incurrent canals leading to the
choanocyte chambers; water is
discharges through excurrent
canals
• The leuconoid sponges exhibit a
significant increase in surface
area and are, therefore, among the
largest sponges
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 Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Sponge Body Forms

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Sponge Reproduction
• 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

• Many of the freshwater sponges

can produce asexual bodies
called gemmules, aggregations of
cells that are enclosed in hard
outer covering containing
spicules
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Asexual Reproduction
Micropyle

Budding Spicule
Fragmentation
Gemmule formation
-survive
-survive freezing

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 Sexual Reproduction
• Monoecious
– Both male and female
• Sperm and egg derived from choanocytes
• Ciliated larva
– Swim to new location

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 Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Hypothesis of Multicellularity

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Sponge Taxonomy

Class Calcarea
(Calcispongidae)

• Only sponges that possess s

composed of calcium
carbonate.
• have 3-4 rays, and do not
have hollow axial canals.
• Today, their diversity is
greatest in the tropics,
predominantly in shallow
waters

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Taxonomy cont.

Class Hexactinellida
(Hyalospongiae)

• Glass sponges; characterized

by siliceous of six rays
intersecting at right angles
• Widely viewed as an early
branch within the

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Taxonomy cont.

Class Demospongiae

• Greater than 90 percent of the

5,000 known living sponge
species are

Yellow sponge growing on a wall

on a Caribbean reef.

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The End

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