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sponges [2019/09/17 00:02] michael created |
sponges [2019/09/17 00:11] michael |
The Porifera, sponges, are sessile benthic invertebrates that represent one of the oldest, if not the oldest metazoan lineage. Sponges comprise approximately 8,500 described species divided among 4 classes and maintain numerous roles in the marine ecosystem such as nutrient cycling, habitat forming, and symbiosis with several different organisms. Bacteria comprise nearly 50% of the sponge biomass leading to five types of interactions (mutualism, commensalism…) and are formidable opponents in the battel for benthic space by filter feeding. | The Porifera, sponges, are sessile benthic invertebrates that represent one of the oldest,possibly even the oldest metazoan lineage. Sponges comprise approximately 8,500 described species divided among 4 extant classes: Calcarea, Homoscleromorpha, Hexactinellida, and Demospongiae, with the Demospongiae being the most diverse group. Sponges maintain numerous roles in the marine ecosystem such as nutrient cycling, habitat forming, and symbiosis with several different organisms. |