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Date & Time : 20, April 2024 15:58
Classification
Phylum - Porifera
Class - Calcarea
Order - Heterocoela
Genus - Sycon or Scypha
Distribution
These are found in abundance near North Atlantic shores.
Habitat
It is solitary or colonial marine sponge found attached to the rocks in shallow waters.
Identifying Features
- It has a vase-shaped cylindrical body measuring about 20-30 mm in length.
- Each cylinder opens to the exterior by an osculum.
- Body surface contains numerous pores called ostia or incurrent pores.
- Osculum is encircled by a fringe of monoaxon spicules.
General Characters
- Body wall consists of outer dermal epithelium, called pinacoderm and inner flagellated epithelium, called choanoderm.
- Skeleton comprises of calcareous spicules of monaxon, triaxon and tetraxon type.
- Choanocytes (flagellated cells) are present in only radial canals.
- Water enters the body via ostia and enters the incurrent canals from where it passes into radial canals through prosopyles.
- From radial canals, water enters the excurrent canal through apopyles.
- Water reaches to spongocoel through the gastral ostia and passes out by osculum.
- Reproduction takes place by both asexual (budding and regeneration) and sexual (by ova and sperms).
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