Department of Zoology at ANDC/Zoology Museum/Museum specimens/Porifera/Sycon

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{|cellpadding="5" cellspacing="6" style="width:100%;background:#FFFFFF; border-style:solid; border-width:3px; border-color:#0066FF;" Date & Time : 28, August 2024      
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=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).

=T.S. of Sycon =

Identifying Features

 * Body wall is diploblastic composed of pinacoderm and choanoderm with a middle layer of mesenchyme.


 * Pinacoderm is made of flat cells - pinaocytes.


 * Mesenchyme contains calcareous spicules and amoeboid cells such as trophocytes, thesocytes, collencytes and archeocytes. It is gelatinous in nature.


 * Choanoderm contains single layer of large flagellated collared cells (choanocytes) which also forms the lining of radial canals.


 * Water enters body through deermal ostia into the incurrent canal which are connected to radial canals by prosopyles.


 * Each radial canal opens into central spongocoel by an apopyle from where water exits through osculum.


 * Canal system is syconoid type.

Route of Water
Water (enters) ⇒ ostia ⇒ incurrent canal ⇒ radial canals through prosopyles ⇒ excurrent canal through apopyle ⇒ spongocoel through gastral ostium ⇒ leaves spongocoel by osculum.

=L.S. of Sycon =

Identifying Features

 * Body wall is diploblastic. It consists of pinacoderm and choanoderm enclosing mesenchyme in between.


 * Pinacoderm is made up of pinacocytes that covers the entire outer surface.


 * Mesenchyme is composed of various kinds of amoebocytes, gelatinous transparent matrix and spicules.


 * Choanoderm or gastral epithelium consists of single layer of flagellated collared cells known as choanocytes which also forms the lining of radial canals.


 * Spongocoel is lined by flat pinacocytes.

Route of Water
Water (enters) ⇒ ostia ⇒ incurrent canal ⇒ radial canals through prosopyles ⇒ excurrent canal through apopyle ⇒ spongocoel through gastral ostium ⇒ leaves spongocoel by osculum.