There are at least 15 000 species of sponges worldwide and within the Dampier Archipelago 275 species have been recorded. Sponges provide a safe habitat for other animals including small crabs and brittle stars.Īlthough the sponges found washed up on beaches are dull in appearance, live sponges are normally vividly coloured. They are filter feeders and obtain their food as water passes through the network of canals that make up their bodies. This means that they are fixed to the ocean floor and therefore cannot move freely to capture food. In a number of sponge species this protein also contains rod-like structures (spicules) made of calcium carbonate or silica dioxide.Īdult sponges are a sessile group of animals. The skeleton of sponges is usually made up of protein fibres known as spongin. They are multi-cellular animals but do not have any form of tissues or organs. Sponges (Phylum: Porifera) are the simplest animals on the planet and were once considered plants by scientists. Article | Updated 6 years ago Hymeniacidon sp.
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