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The phylum Porifera, which means "pore-bearing", has over 5,000 species in it
and is the least developed of the animal phyla, having no organs or tissues.
They are aquatic organisms and can be found worldwide.
They are filter feeders, and get their nutrients through the water that flows through their pores.
The water flowing through their pores also helps them remove wastes and serves as an oxygen supply.
Adult sponges usually remain in one spot and cannot move at all.
They have three body types: asconoid and syconoid, which are vase-shaped, and leuconoid which is rock or lump shaped.
The skeletons of certain sponges were widely used to make commercial sponges because they are made out of spongin,
a very pliable and soft substance, but today's commercial sponges are made out of plastic and other artificial material.
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