Boring Sponge
Cliona celata
Description:
Greenish - yellow to orange in color and growing only as large as the shell they live in. The Boring
sponge lives in calcium rich objects. Through a chemical process they "drill" tiny holes in shells. They
don't have tissues or organs. There are about 5,000 identified marine species of sponges.
Habitat:
Boring sponges are typically marine species mostly found on rocks and shells on the seafloor, often
preferring shallow water.
Size:
Sponges form the shape of the object they attach to and vary widely in size and shape.
Lifespan:
Lifespan varies widely.
Food:
They are filter feeders and eat small food particles brought into their bodies by seawater.
Offspring:
Sponges can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction occurs when sponges release
sperm into the water where it is carried by water currents to other sponges. Fertilization occurs within
specialized cells and then the larva are released to make their way in the world.
Fun Facts:
• Sponges are beneficial because they are able to erode mollusk shells and recycle the calcium into a
form that is usable by other marine organisms. They etch out tiny chips of calcium carbonate, a
process termed bio-erosion.
• Sponges are one of the most primitive of multi-celled animals, with no specialized tissue and no
blood.
• The phylum name, Porifera, means “pore bearer” referring to the many tiny openings all over the
sponge’s surface.
• Ongoing scientific research shows one type of sponge a possible cure to cancer.