A filter-feeding sponge pumps water through pores in the outer layer of cells that surrounds its body and draws small food particles such as bacteria out of the water that comes in (1,2,4,5,6). (The exceptions are a group of sponges which are carnivorous, feeding on small crustaceans (5,7)). Also, nearly all sponges have a body-plan that enables a simple lifestyle known as filter-feeding (2,6). Despite this great diversity in appearance, all sponges share a physical feature unique among animals: they have cells that can move freely and change forms, allowing the sponges to continuously reshape their bodies(1,2). These creatures come in a huge array of colors and sizes (2,5,6)-measuring anywhere from 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) to 70 inches (178 cm) (6)-and can have bodies with shapes that resemble trees, cups, tubes, fans, balls, shapeless blobs, and more (2). They can be found in both marine and freshwater environments at any depth, though especially in coral reefs, mangrove habitats, and seagrass ecosystems (2). Sponges are an animal phylum consisting of around 5000-8000 known species (4,6)-and perhaps as many as 15,000 to 24,000 including those not yet described (2,6)-that live all around the world (5).
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