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.