Unknown marine organism

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During a scuba dive in a beautiful Mediterranean coral reef of Savalia savaglia and Paramuricea clavata, at a depth between 72 and 76 meters, I met this unknown marine organism for the first time. Curiosity prompted me to carry out a series of searches to understand precisely what I was dealing with. Research has not yielded a satisfactory answer. The questions I asked myself were many. Based on my experience of many years of scuba diving it could be an animal belonging to the phylum Porifera. Porifera or Sponges, are multicellular animal organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them, consisting of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. The branch of zoology that studies sponges is known as spongiology. organismo marino sconosciuto

Unknown marine organism - Organismo marino sconosciuto - www.intotheblue.it

Unknown marine organism – Organismo marino sconosciuto – www.intotheblue.it

Sponges have unspecialized cells that can transform into other types and that often migrate between the main cell layers and the mesohyl in the process. Sponges do not have nervous, digestive or circulatory sistems. Instead, most rely on maintaining a constant water flow through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen and to remove wastes. Sponges were first to branch off the evolutionary tree from the common ancestor of all animals, making them the sister group of all other animals. Sponges are similar to other animals in that they are multicellular, heterotrophic, lack cell walls and produce sperm cells. Unlike other animals, they lack true tissues and organs.

Unknown marine organism - Organismo marino sconosciuto - www.intotheblue.it

Unknown marine organism – Organismo marino sconosciuto – www.intotheblue.it

Some of them are radially symmetrical, but most are asymmetrical. The shapes of their bodies are adapted for maximal efficiency of water flow through the central cavity, where the water deposits nutrients and then leaves through a hole called the osculum. Many sponges have internal skeletons of spongin and/or spicules (skeletal-like fragments) of calcium carbonate or silicon dioxide. All sponges are sessile aquatic animals, meaning that they attach to an underwater surface and remain fixed in place (i.e., do not travel). Although there are freshwater species, the great majority are marine (salt-water) species, ranging in habitat from tidal zones to depths exceeding 8,800 m.

Unknown marine organism - Organismo marino sconosciuto - www.intotheblue.it

Unknown marine organism – Organismo marino sconosciuto – www.intotheblue.it

Although most of the approximately 5,000–10,000 known species of sponges feed on bacteria  and other microscopic food in the water, some host photosynthesizing  microorganisms as endosymbionts, and these alliances often produce more food and oxygen than they consume. A few species of sponges that live in food-poor environments have evolved as carnivores that prey mainly on small crustaceans.

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Informazioni sull'autore / About the author:
Fanino Cirivasi Fanino Cirivasi ha scritto / wrote 221 articoli / Posts.
Questo articolo è stato scritto il / This article was written on 01/03/2023
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