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Marine Sponges

Many people who have been to the sea Take a walk along the beach at low tide. or surfing the sea, diving to see the coral reefs One would be eye-catching with a creature whose body has pores scattered throughout its body, bright colors, some red, some orange, clinging to the rocks. Looks like a lump or coating on the stone. Some are large, shaped like volcanic craters or oil drums. When you touch it, you will find that it is soft, flexible and springs back just like the sponges we use in the house. These are characteristics that are characteristic of marine animals known as marine sponges.

The origin

Sea sponges are invertebrates that originated about 600 million years ago. It is believed that sea sponges originated from protozoan single-celled animal ancestors. Choanoflagelta coexisting as a colony which is a protozoan with a collar (Collar) similar to a sponge cell In the past used to rule the sea floor along with the coral reefs. But nowadays, sponges have decreased, which we can see corals forming coral reefs scattered in tropical parts of the world, but still we still find sponges as dominant animals next to tropical corals. And sponges are found to be dominant in coastal ecosystems in temperate and cold regions.

General Features

In the past, naturalists often confused the understanding that sponges are plants or animals. Some naturalists class sponges in some single-celled animals. anemones some jellyfish Until finally, R. E. Grant classified sponges as Phylum Porifera, meaning spongy body. Sponges are ancient invertebrates with a simple body structure. due to loose arrangement of cells and does not have the appearance of true tissue Sponge cells have a special feature that is not found in other animals. The ability to change a cell’s function from one function to another. (Totipotency) The body is porous and there are water pipes scattered throughout the body. with a water canal system consisting of small pipes Along the body is an inlet pipe (Ostium) and is a passage for sea water to enter the body through the reverberation of special cells. (Choanocytes) with collars and whips cause currents to flow into them.

These specialized cells are responsible for holding food and oxygen to breathe. As for the filtered water, it will flow out through the osculum, most of which are large in one pipe. The skeleton of the body (Skeleton) consists of sponge spines. (Spicules) and/or sponge fibers (Spongin fibers) Sponges are animals attached to the sea floor (Sessile animals) can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Some species raise their larvae in their own water pipe system. In addition, sponges are also classified as the longest-lived animals in the world, for example, some species of sponges living in underwater caves may live up to 5,000 years.

Marine Sponge biodiversity

Scholars estimate that there are about 15,000 species of sponges in the world, but have verified that There are just over 7,000 species of sponges that have been identified. Sponges can live in both sea and fresh water. But more than 98 percent are found in the sea. The species diversity of sponges in the Malay Peninsula and the South China Sea is estimated to be about 1,200 species. In Thailand, it is estimated that there are at least 500 species in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. But the study report in Thailand At present, about 150 species of sponges have been found. Sponges are a large number of Thai marine resources waiting to be discovered. For example, we recently discovered the Elephant’s ear sponge, Cliona patera (Hardwicke).

Around Koh Larn, Pattaya City, this elephant ear sponge is understood by foreign experts to be extinct. Because no one has reported its discovery since 1912, or almost a hundred years ago, and it is one of the world’s very rare sponges. Originally found to have spread only in Indonesia and Australia. The discovery of this sponge in the Gulf of Thailand is a great discovery.

Important roles of Marine Sponges

Sea sponges are filter feeders by filtering water through a body that can filter seawater more than ten times its own volume within an hour and work continuously all day and night. Sea sponges therefore play an important role in the marine ecosystem in terms of improving the quality of sea water to be cleaner. Helps to remove micro sediment and reduce the amount of organic sediment in sea water. It is like an important biological water filter. Sea sponges are also sub-habitats.

As a microhabitat, many other microscopic organisms such as shrimp, crabs, mollusks and earthworms use the sponge’s water pipes as a hiding place from pests. Some fragile stars transform the spines under their arms into hooks for the sponges and rely on the currents from the sponges’ aqueous system to carry food. Pearl necklace leeches often come to collect sediment left on the body of sponges as food, etc.

Some sponges can be used as indicators of the marine environment, such as the red bush duct sponge, Oceanpia sagittaria, conduit higher to avoid the sedimentation of suspended sediment in seawater. Areas, where there are many species of sea sponges, can tell that. The environment in this area has high precipitation. and embedded sponges, Cliona sp. can produce acids that decompose limestone and create burrows in the limestone remains. Plays an important role in the decomposition of coral remains or shell remains that are limestone. It is the circulation of carbon elements back to the carbon cycle in the sea.

The use values of sponges (Human’s use values)

Sponges are animals that humans have known and utilized from the past to the present. In the past, sea sponges were processed and used for body and household cleaning. Used to absorb blood from wounds Placed in a camel’s bladder to reduce water loss during long journeys. make up Used to burn the fire to make medicine. Women’s menstrual pads and various works of art But nowadays, natural sponges have been almost completely replaced by synthetic sponges. Because it is cheaper and has a production process that is not cumbersome But natural sponges still play an important role in the cosmetic and medical industries.

Nowadays, sponges are animals that scholars are very interested in. Because scientists have found that sponges are animals that cling and grow on the ground, but are rarely disturbed by enemies. It is therefore assumed that the sponges may create an undesirable chemical weapon against other aquatic animals. These chemical weapons are Substances, marine natural products that can be used for research studies. Medicine and Pharmacy In addition, scientists also discovered that Some sponges feed bacteria in their water pipe systems and create antimicrobial agents to prevent their food from being attacked or competed by other unwanted bacteria. This ability is therefore regarded as “Early Farmers of the World.

By Sumet Puchakan. Marine Invertebrates Marine Biodiversity Research