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Class Calcarea: Demospongiae
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Habitat
Interesting Facts!
Habitat: Saltwater seafloors
Demospongiae is a class of freshwater and marine sponges that belongs to the phylum Porifera. More than 90% of the 5,000 species of sponges are demosponges, making this class of sponge by far the biggest.
Colour: Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Brown
Skin Type: Smooth.
Favourite Food: Bacteria.
Main Prey: Bacteria, Phytoplankton, Nutrients In Water.
Predators: Fish, Turtles. Crustaceans.
Special Features: Brightly coloured and non-moving lifestyle.
Feeding
Most demospongiae filter water through their spicules to pick up tiny particles of food from the water. This is what classifies them as filter-feeders.
Demospongiae
Description
Class Calcarea: Demospongiae
By: Natalie Torres
The Demospongiae are the largest class in the phylum Porifera. They are asymmetrical. Demospongians can range in size from a few millimeters to over 2 meters being there largest dimension. They can form thin encrustations, lumps, finger-like growths, or urn shapes. Pigment granules in amoebocytes often make members of this class brightly colored, including bright yellow, orange, red, purple, or green.
Life Cycle
Asexual Reproduction
An adult sponge is faced with a hostile environment and it forms gemmules (internal bud) that are resistant to harsh conditions and when those conditions come about a new sponge grows from that gemmule.
Another form of asexual reproduction takes places after an external bud becomes to big and breaks off, this results in a mini "clone" of the adult sponge.
Food Chain
Role
Sexual Reproduction:
Demospongaes have male and female reproductive systems, as well as the ability to reproduce sexually or asexually. Some demospongaes release their eggs and sperm into the water where they are fertilized and when they hatch, the larvae float until they attach themselves onto a stable surface. Most sponges keep their eggs inside fertilizing the eggs internally. When the sperm is released it floats until it reaches another sponge of the same species. Once the eggs hatch the larvae swim out of the spicules and into the water where they will float freely until they reach a solid ground to attach themselves to. After the larva attaches itself to a stable surface, most adult sponges will remain sessile for the rest of their lives though very few may move at times. The average life span of a demosponge is 5-30 years.
Sponges role in its niche is to be a filter feeders. Obtain their food by filtering out organic materials from sea water.