By: Andrew Kiarie-Mumbi
Introduction To Porifera
Poriferas are also known as sponges. These species are either male or female, but others produce both eggs and sperms. They either use their asexual or sexual reproduction. This helps sponges live and survive in their habitats. Poriferas are the most animals at asexual reproduction, which happens without the uniting of the eggs and the sperms or transfer of DNA from two parents. Poriferas can reproduce asexually when a piece of the animal break off and grows into a separate adult. Poriferas can also reproduce through another methods known as budding.
Poriferas are also known as sponges. These species are either male or female, but others produce both eggs and sperms. They either use their asexual or sexual reproduction. This helps sponges live and survive in their habitats. Poriferas are the most animals at asexual reproduction, which happens without the uniting of the eggs and the sperms or transfer of DNA from two parents. Poriferas can reproduce asexually when a piece of the animal break off and grows into a separate adult. Poriferas can also reproduce through another methods known as budding.
Giant Barrel Sponge (Xestospongia Muta)
Giant Barrel sponge is one of the largest sponge's species found in the Caribbean. Barrel sponges are hermaphrodites. They have several methods of reproduction. Giant Barrel sponges can reproduce both sexually and asexually, for example if a piece of the sponges is broken off a new one will begin to grow. They begin to reproduce as soon as the hit adulthood. In sexual reproduction they reproduce through a method known as spawning and in is a method known as budding in which one organism develops from an outgrowth or bud on another one. Sexual reproduction is the most common among this specie, they release clouds of sperm that are drawn in to an individual sponge that fertilizes the eggs. During development, the baby sponges feed on the egg yolks, larva's are then released into the seabeds w
Green Finger Sponge (Lotrochota Birotulata)
Green Finger Sponge are able to regenerate into whole new sponges. Asexual reproduction occurs by budding or by fragmentation. The buds may remain attached to the parent or separate from it, and each bud develops into a new individual. Freshwater Green Finger sponges, as well as several marine species, form resistant structures called gemmules that can withstand adverse conditions such as drying or cold and later develop into new individuals. Gemmules are aggregates of sponge tissue and food, covered by a hard coating containing spicules or spongin fibers. Sexual reproduction also occurs. Most Green Finger Sponge are hermaphroditic, the same individual producing eggs and sperm, but in some species the sexes are separate. The larvae are flagellated and swim about freely for a short time. After settling and attaching to a suitable substrate, the larvae develop into young sponges.
Red Boring Sponges (Cliona Celata)
Red boring sponges can produce both sexually and asexually. This mean the can simply separate by mitosis just like a single cell do. or they can release sperms in the water in hopes of them finding female eggs and fuse. They may also attach their larvae onto mollusks like clams and mussels. This usually results in the death of the host sponge. They sponge will then continue to colonize as they grow