CLASSIFICATION OF EUSPONGIA
PHYLUM :- PORIFERA (Pore bearing, cellular grade, asymmetrical or radially symmetrical.)
CLASS :- DEMOSPONGIAE (Spongin fibres or siliceous spicules. Canal system leuconoid type.)
ORDER :- KERATOSA (Skeleton of spongin fibres only.)
GENUS :- Euspongia
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Cosmopolitan. Common in eastern Mediterranean, West India, U.S.A., Asia and Australia.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Euspongia is found in shallow water on rocky bottom. It is a sedentary form attached to the rocks by horny spongin in secretion
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF EUSPONGIA
- Commonly called as bath sponge attached to rocky substratum.
- It attains a large and massive size with globular or cup-shaped body with dark black colour. The slender spongin fibres form small network.
- Complex type of sponge, in which there is a further increase in the folding of the body wall.
- Surface of the body contains large openings called as oscula, and small opening called as inhalant canals.
- Bath sponge is of household use. It is prepared-by squeezing and bleaching or dyeing the sponge. The common bath sponge mainly consists of spongin fibres having the capacity of holding water.
- Commonly used in offices, etc. for wetting postal tickets and counting currency notes or papers, etc.
IDENTIFICATION
The animal has has oscula, pores, globase body with meshy spongia fibres and all above features, hence it is Euspongia.
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