More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Sponges of Zihuatanejo
PHYLUM PORIFERA
Darwinellidae Sponge
Darwinellidae (Family)
-Demosponges (Class Demospongiae)
-Subclass Keratosa
-Order Dendroceratida
-Family Darwinellidae
Sponges are filter feeders, drawing seawater through thousands of microscopic pores and using specialized choanocytes to capture bacteria, plankton and other tiny organic particles. Darwinellids obtain much of their nutrition from bacteria and dissolved or particulate organic matter suspended in the surrounding water.
Water is drawn into the sponge through ostia (inhalant pores) and expelled through larger openings called oscula, creating a continuous internal circulation.
Occurs in marine environments, particularly on rocky reefs, hard substrates, coral rubble, shells and other stable surfaces.
Description
• Darwinellidae is a family of demosponges in the phylum Porifera, class Demospongiae, subclass Keratosa, and order Dendroceratida. Members are non-skeletal or weakly structured sponges that lack the mineral spicules found in many other sponge groups. Their bodies may be irregular, encrusting, lobed, or branching, with a flexible, fibrous structure supported by a network of spongin protein.
Range
• Darwinellidae occurs in marine environments worldwide, including tropical and subtropical waters. The family is represented in the waters of Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• These sponges typically attach to hard surfaces such as rocks, coral rubble, and other submerged structures. They occur on reefs and rocky seafloors, where they filter water for suspended organic particles and microorganisms.
Diet
• Darwinellidae are filter feeders that draw water through tiny pores and internal canals, capturing bacteria, microscopic plankton, and other suspended organic particles. Their diet may also include dissolved organic compounds and nutrients associated with microorganisms.