The Wet World of Sponges - Process

Until almost the nineteenth century (AD), porifera were classified as plants!!! Such an extreme misconception also led to the theory that porifera were sessile and stationary. However, recent studies conducted with fish tanks reveal that sponges move a few millimeters every day. As with a plethora of theoretical concepts associated with sponges, many theories have been discarded or enhanced.

In the area of sponge growth, it has always been noted that sponges grow. Such a detail is essential in the parameters of life. However, sponges all grow differently. In fact, their sizes are rather varied. Members of the Monoraphus family may achieve a length extending to 10 feet! Not to mention, these sponges have to maintain their life and prosper without the implementation of respiration systems. There is a veritable myriad of factors that may impact the growth of porifera. For example, structure is an important factor. Sponges may may be composed in thin, crusty layers or a tube shape. It is critical that the surface area attains a maximal value. Utilization of oxygen is more efficient, and deficiencies in other resources are minimized. However, they are fundamentally delineated between three structures:

Asconoids	-These are the simplest of the sponges. Usually, they are direct descendant of more ancient sponges. They are about 4 inches or 10 cm. Also, they usually appear as a slender sack or tube.
Syconides	-In comparison to asconoids, these are slightly larger, thicker, and more complex. Their porocytes are systematically positioned on a smooth surface. Also, their shapes are generally tubular.
Leuconides	-Leuconides are the largest and most developed of all the sponges. They are the best constructed for movement and constriction. They have billions of choanocytes, and in five minutes, they filter their own weight in water.

The actual process of growth is essentially consistent among the sponge phylum. It occurs in this sequence: