Demosponge

A member of Demospongiae, the largest sponge class. Its skeleton may contain spongin fibers, siliceous spicules, or both.

Connect

Porifera: The animal phylum comprising sponges, which lack true tissues and organs. Demosponges are members of this phylum, alongside glass sponges and calcareous sponges.
Aquiferous system: The network of pores, canals, and chambers through which water flows in a sponge. This system channels water through demosponge bodies for feeding and gas exchange.
Bath sponge: A commercial sponge, usually the skeleton of a species in the demosponge genus Spongia. Its flexible spongin skeleton made some demosponges familiar household materials.
Sponge-derived natural products: Chemical compounds isolated from sponges, many of which have biological activity. Demosponges produce diverse compounds that have inspired drug discovery.
Glass sponge: A sponge in class Hexactinellida, characterized by a skeleton of fused siliceous spicules. Glass sponges differ from demosponges in their distinctive fused silica skeletons.
Spongin: A collagen-like structural protein that forms flexible fibers in many sponge skeletons. Spongin fibers provide structural support in many demosponges.
Sponge filter feeding: A feeding mode in which sponge cells capture suspended particles from water moving through the body. Demosponges obtain much of their food by filtering particles from pumped water.
Giant barrel sponge: Xestospongia muta, a large Caribbean reef sponge that can live for centuries. This conspicuous reef species demonstrates the large size and longevity possible among demosponges.
Cytarabine: A chemotherapy drug used to treat certain leukemias and lymphomas. Its development was inspired by nucleosides first isolated from a Caribbean demosponge.
Calcareous sponge: A sponge in class Calcarea, with skeletal spicules made of calcium carbonate. Its carbonate spicules contrast with the silica and spongin common in demosponges.