Scientists are currently researching sea sponges for possible applications in the treatment of cancer.ġ2. As a result, from the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, through to the Middle Ages, people used them for medicinal purposes. Sea sponges contain a significant amount of iodine. Sponge larvae have cilia, or tiny hairs, that they use to propel themselves through the water to find a good place for them to settle.ġ1. Sponges will grow “ gemmules”, which bud, break off, and then settle elsewhere.ġ0. Asexual reproduction involves producing genetic clones.

Fertilisation takes place within the receiving sponge which will then release larvae into the water to form the next generation.

During sexual reproduction, sponges release sperm into the water column, which is then absorbed by other sponges.

Reproduction amongst sponges occurs in two forms, sexual and asexual: Sea sponges are hermaphrodites, with the characteristics of both sexes. Some sponges have spiny defensive “ spicules”, made out of a mesh of protein, spongil, and calcium carbonate.ĩ. All adult sponges are sessile (they do not move).Ĩ. One family of sponges, the Cladorhizidae, feed on tiny crustaceans.ħ. Sponges are also now recognised as a vital carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide from the water.Ħ. Sponges excrete essential nutrients, and are extremely important nutrient sources in the marine ecosystem.ĥ. Sponges can filter a huge mount of water every day – roughly 20,000 TIMES their own volume.Ĥ.

Sea sponges are “ filter feeders“, as they feed by actively filtering water through their pores, ingesting water-borne plankton and other simple microscopic life.ģ. Sponges belong to the phylum Porifera, Latin for “pore-bearer”, which refers to the countless tiny openings, or “ ostia“, visible on all sponges.Ģ. Here are 17 fascinating facts about them.ġ.

Nevertheless, despite their seemingly uninteresting appearance, sponges are actually vital and dynamic creatures. They are often mistaken as corals or plants lacking the features we commonly associate with living animals, such as brains and hearts. There are over 5,000 identified species – 200 of which can be found in fresh water. They have been present on Earth for around 500 million years. The sea sponge is one of the world’s simplest multi-cellular living organisms.

How does sponge move