Porifera
General Information
- Porifera in Latin: Pore bearing
- Sponges are one of the oldest and simplest multicellular animals (metazoans) on earth
- Porifera phylum is hard to show evolutionary history.
- Approximately 8500 marine species, 150 freshwater species, 1500 species in Australia, 1000 in the southern Australian ocean
- Early biologists considered these plants until they found 2 KEY characteristics
- Heterotrophic: eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients
- Multicellular: different cells perform different functions within the body
