Department of Zoology at ANDC/Zoology Museum/Museum specimens/Porifera/Spongilla

Spongilla

Classification
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Porifera
Class - Demospongiae

Subclass - Monaxonida
Order - Haplosclerina
Genus - Spongilla

Habitat: Abundantly found in ponds, lakes and slow stream growing on submerged sticks and plants.

Identifying Features

• Colony is profusely branched exhibiting various shades of green colour due to the presence of zoochlorellae a green alga in the tissues.
• Body wall consists of very thin dermal membrane provided with dermal pores of ostia and several oscula.

Common Characters

• Canal system is rhagon type.
• Skeleton consists of siliceous spicules in form of network of smooth or spiny large and small oxeas (curved monaxons) embedded in the spongin fibres.
• Reproduction both sexual and asexual. Asexual by gemmules and sexual through an unusual free swimming larva characteristic of Spongilla.