They feed on whatever the ocean currents may carry inside them and they have the ability to digest tiny organisms and large particles. Sponges are not particularly picky with their food. The flagella create currents to filter bacteria out of the sponge’s cells and trap food within them. Inside the sponge, the channels are lined with tiny hair like structures called flagella. Therefore, they feed by filtering small organisms and organic debris particles that come in with the water.Īs water filters through a sponge’s porous exterior, the sponge receives the necessary food and oxygen, and dispels waste. The water that flows through their pores helps them support all these functions. Sea sponges don’t have a mouth and they lack distinct digestive, circulatory, excretory and respiratory systems. It is full of pores whose job is to filter lots and lots of water.

Their body texture looks very much like the texture of your kitchen sponge. Their skeleton is formed from spicules made of silica (a glass-like material), calcium or calcium carbonate materials, and spongin, a protein that supports the spicules. Some types have been found to live over 200 years.

They come in many different colors, sizes, and shapes and, since very few animals eat them, they can live for a very long time. Sponges are classified as invertebrates, which means they do not have backbones, and they make up an entire phylum of animals ( Phylum porifera).

Some of these cells are in charge of digestion, some of reproduction and others for bringing in and filtering water so that the sponge can feed. They also do not have tissues or organs like other animals do, rather, they have specialized cells to perform necessary functions. They are relatively basic multi-celled animals without a brain or a central nervous system.

How does water move through a sponge?