More about Sponges
Sponges are simple multicellular animals, with semi-independent cells. The individual cells cannot live by themselves, but it is said a sponge forced through a fine net can re-arrange itself again on the other side.
This sponge is known as a Glass Sponge because its skeleton is made of silica. Silica is the same material used to make glass in windows. The skeleton is made up of numerous tiny siliceous elements known as ‘spicules’. These spicules are secreted by the sponge animal to form this rigid skeleton.
Living Glass Sponges live attached to the sea floor in the western Pacific Ocean. Glass Sponges can be found at depths of 100 to 1000 metres, but usually in waters greater than 500 metres deep.
This Glass Sponge skeleton is 10 cm long, but Glass Sponges can grow up to 1.3 metres tall. The top of the skeleton is at the bottom right of the picture, with the ‘rooting’ structure at the top left.
Sponges belong to the phylum Porifera, with the glass sponges are known as Hexactinellids. The scientific name, or two-part Latin binomial, for this particular Glass Sponge is Euplectella aspergillum.