10 Interesting Sea Sponge Facts

Let me show you another marine animal in Sea Sponge Facts. If you think that a sea sponge is a plant or a coral, you are wrong. It is included as an animal.  Sea sponge is not a very complex animal for it does not have a central nervous system or a brain. Most sea sponges live on the seabed. They do not move around. They will attach the body on a solid location and live permanently there. Let me show you more interesting facts about sea sponge below:

Sea Sponge Facts 1: the dark membrane

If you check the sea sponge underwater, it looks dark. The body is covered with dark membrane. The function of this dark membrane is to protect the inner skeleton and act like body skin.

Sea Sponge Facts 2: the reproduction

The sea sponge reproduces by budding. The nearby sponge will catch the sperms used to fertilize the eggs. Then the tiny larvae will be released as a result of the fertilization. Then this larva will inhabit the ocean floor. It will grow into sponge.

Sea Sponge Colors

Sea Sponge Facts 3: the feeding time

The main diet of sea sponge includes the organic particles and plankton. They will filter the ocean current to get the food. The body of sea sponge contains the tiny pores to do the filtering. The flowing water also gives this animal nutrients and oxygen.

Sea Sponge Facts 4: the species

The scientists have identified around 5000 species of sea sponges in the world. The commercially available one is only seven species.

Sea Sponge Facts

Sea Sponge Facts 5: the remarkable regeneration

Sea sponge has wonderful regeneration process. They can repair the broken pieces and damaged parts of the body easily. Moreover, they can settle to another location.

Sea Sponge Facts 6: the root

If you decide to harvest sea sponge, you just have to make sure that the roots or bases of the sea sponge are still in. Don’t take it to give the sea sponge a chance to regenerate. If you take the root off, the sponge is dead.

Sea Sponge Pic

Sea Sponge Facts 7: the harvest

If you think that harvesting sea sponge is bad, you are wrong. The age of the sea sponge can reach 150 years if it is harvested occasionally. If the sea sponge is not harvested, they cannot do a regeneration process. Therefore, they can only have the short life span for 10 years.  Get facts about sea anemone here.

Sea Sponge Facts 8: the size of sea sponge

It is estimated that sea sponge has the width at 10 feet. The length is only few inches.

Sea Sponge Picture

Sea Sponge Facts 9: the depth

Sea sponge can be found living 9000 feet in the depth of the ocean. Get facts about sea cucumber here.

Sea Sponge Facts 10: carnivorous

It is surprising to know that some sea sponges are carnivorous. They eat crustaceans and small marine animals.

Sea Sponge

Are you interested reading facts about sea sponge?