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• Image Gallery
Poriferans (Sponges) & Cnidarians
You might know poriferans (po-RIF-eh-ruhns) as sponges. Water circulating through their pores carries microorganisms into the sponge for food. The hard, spiny structures you see—called spicules—are the sponge’s skeleton.
Animals with hard exoskeletons—such as sponges, corals, and sea anemones—cluster closely together, attached to the ocean floor. These clusters form reefs, which in turn provide shelter for other animals.
Cnidarians (ny-DARE-ee-uhns) all have arm-like tentacles with stinging cells that poison predators and prey. Some cnidarians, like jellyfish, are free-floating. Other kinds of cnidarians attach themselves to parts of the reef, where they remain for the rest of their lives.
Continue to Mollusk Images. >>
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