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What are poriferans?

The phylum Porifera contains the simplest creatures of the animal kingdom. Poriferans, or sponges, are aquatic sessile beings (they are not able to move by themselves and they keep themselves attached to substrates), they do not have tissue diversity and their bodies have pores (feature after which their name comes).

Poriferans are multicellular, likewise all beings of the animal kingdom.

What is the way of life of poriferans?

Poriferans live exclusively under aquatic environment and they are attached by their base to a substrate (fixation ground). Poriferans are filtering animals, they nourish themselves from nutrients that enter their atrium brought with water.

What is the typical shape of poriferans?

Poriferans have bodies in form of tubular vases or globes open in the upper extremity. They have an internal central cavity and porous walls. The central cavity is called spongocoel and the opening in the upper extremity of the poriferan body is called osculum.