Key Characteristics of the Phylum
- Sessile (they live their entire adult life attached to a single spot)
- Porous bodies
How Many Species in the Phylum
5,000
Structure and Function
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Habitat
Interesting Facts
- Less than 200 species of sponges inhabit freshwater habitats
- There are three types of sponges. They differ by shape. Asconoid sponges are a simple tube shape; Syconoid sponges are larger and thicker tubes; and Leuconoid are the largest sponges shaped as lumpy masses riddled with canals.
- Some tropical and deep ocean sponges can live for 200 years or more