Phylum Porifera

Kingdom Animalia
  Subkingdom Parazoa
       Phylum Porifera 
          Class Calcarea
          Class Demospongiae
          Class Hexactinellida 

Class Calcarea ~700species
Made of Calcium, protein
Number of spicules: 1,3,4 rays

Class Hexactinellida~500species
Made of Silica, protein
Number of spicules: 1,3,4, 6

Class Demospongiae ~7000species
Made of Silica, protein
Number of spicules 1,3,4

3 different Canal systems
Asconoid: a simple structure, the water flow in ostia to spongocoel and push out through osculum
Syconoid: a more advance system compare to Asconoid, it has many radial canals, which laid choanocytes and incurrent canals. These two kinds of canal are connected by the prosopyle (an opening). The water flow in osti
Leuconoid: The most complex canal systems.

Important cell types in Porifera:
Choanocytes, Pinacocytes, Porocytes, Amoebocytes, Archaeocytes.

Lectured by Professor Blake Barron