BY255L - Invertebrate Zoology Lab > Porifera (pronounce)

BY255L Porifera Lecture Outline

Cellular level of organization

• pinacoderm
• mesohyl (noncellular) choanocytes

Types of sponge organization

• asconoid (e.g. Leucosolenia) (Class Calcarea)
• syconoid (e.g. Sycon) (micrograph) (Class Calcarea)
• leuconoid

Choanocytes (collar cells) move water through the sponge. An asconoid example is Leucosolenia. syconoid examples are Leucosolenia and Grantia/Scypha. Both are Class Calcarea, have calcium carbonate spicules and exhibit birefringence. Leuconoid examples are Spongilla and the dried specimens. All are Class Demospongiae. Silica spicules are present or no spicules and spongin fibers. Class Hexactinellida example- Venus flower basket which is a deep water marine sponge.

Sexual and asexual reproduction in sponges. Gemmules

Microscope review

• Use 4x or 10x first.
• Bring the stage up until it stops and slowly turn the coarse focus (the big knob on the side of the microscope) until the specimen comes into view.
• For 40x, the microscope should already be close to focus if you have already focused at 10x.
• Use the fine focus (the small knob inside the big knob) to focus. Be careful! There is no stop for 40x!

Classes

• Class Calcarea (calcareous sponges)
• Class Demospongiae (demosponges)
• Class Sclerospongiae
• Class Hexactinellida (glass sponges)

Class Calcarea (calcareous sponges)

• Simplest sponges
• Spicules of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃)
• Leucosolenia
• Grantia/Scypha (micrograph)
• Sycon sponge model (close-up)

Class Demospongiae (demosponges)

• Skeleton made up of silica-containing spicules or spongin fibers or both
• 90 percent of all extant poriferans
• Only leuconoid body type organiztion
• Spongia - Bath sponge-1
• Spongia - Bath sponge-2
• Cliona - Boring sponge
• Cup sponge-1
• Cup sponge-2
• Finger sponge
• Grass sponge (Spongia sp.)
• Loaf sponge
• Maine sponge (Even though the water is cold it is clear. These are common.)
• Red sponge
• Rope sponge Aplysina fulva
• Spongilla
• Spongilla spicules
• Sun sponge Hymeniacidon heliophila
• Tube sponge Aiolochroia crassa
• Vase sponge
• Wire sponge

Class Sclerospongiae

Class Hexactinellida (glass sponges)

• Skeletons are composed of spicules of silica (silicon dioxide - SiO₂)
• Euplectella - glass sponge

Specimens

Gross views

• Bath sponge-1
• Bath sponge-2
• Commercial sponge
• Cup sponge-1
• Cup sponge-2
• Finger sponge
• Glass sponge
• Grass sponge (Spongia sp.)
• Honeycomb sponge
• Leucosolenia
• Loaf sponge
• Vase sponge
• Wire sponge

Micrographs

• Apopyles
• Collar spicules
• Commercial sponge fibers
• Gemmule
• Grantia/Scypha
• Grantia external radial canals
• Mixed spicules
• Spongilla
• Spongilla spicules
• Grantia/Scypha

Web links

External

• UCMP - Introduction to Porifera
• FloridaSmart - Sponges
• The Columbia Encyclopedia - Porifera
• Morphology of poriferans
• Wet Web Mediate (good)
• Zoo Lab - Poriferan & Radiate Animal Form & Function
• BioMEDIA-Biology of Sponges
• UWisc-La Crosse - Sponges
• Fact Monster - Porifera
• Florida Sponge Company
• GULF SPECIMEN MARINE LAB - PORIFERA/SPONGES
• Cancer killers from sponges

Antarctica

• National Wildlife Federation - Sponges and other creatures in Antarctica
• State University of New York at Stony Brook - Sponges and other creatures in Antarctica
• MBARI - Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute - Benthic Biology and Ecology in the Ross Sea of Antarctica

UAB research

• Robert Thacker - New Jewels of the Deep

Art work

• Harry Hoffman - Water World Motif - Bahamas 2 (This link has disappeared for the artist. I leave the listing here so you'll know what to try to find in an art book.)
• Harry Hoffman - The Blue Cup Sponge
• dave_c in pbase.com - Blue Vase Sponge photograph
• Dara Walter - Spanish Hogfish and Irridescent Vase Sponge