''Spongilla'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form with a skeleton composed of siliceous spicules. They are sessile organisms, attaching themselves to hard substrate like rocks, logs. and sometimes to ground. Using their ostia and osculum these sponges filter the water for various small aquatic organisms such as

protozoa Protozoa (: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a polyphyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic debris. Historically ...

ns,

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

, and other free-floating

pond life Pond life is an umbrella term for all life forms found in ponds. Although there is considerable overlap with the species lists for small lakes and even slow-flowing rivers, pond life includes some species not found elsewhere, and as a biome it r ...

. Sponges of the genus ''Spongilla'' partake in symbiotic relationships with the green algae,

zoochlorella Zoochlorella (: zoochlorellae) is a colloquial term for any green algae that lives symbiotically within the body of an aquatic invertebrate animal or a protozoan. Classification Zoochlorellae are various genera belonging to the classes Chlo ...

e, which gives the sponges a green appearance, and without which they would appear white. ''Spongilla'' was used by

John Hogg John Joseph Hogg (born 19 March 1949) is a former Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1996 to 2014, representing the Labor Party. He served as President of the Senate from 2008 to 2014. Early life Hogg was born ...

in the 19th century to attempt to justify a fourth kingdom of

life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

Reproduction

Sponges are

hermaphrodite A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

s, producing both

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the ...

and

sperm Sperm (: sperm or sperms) is the male reproductive Cell (biology), cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm ...

. Sperm is released from one sponge and brought in through the ostia of another sponge. Once the sperm reaches the body cavity it fertilizes an egg, which develops into a free-swimming

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e. The free-swimming larvae are released out the

osculum The osculum (: oscula) is an excretory structure in the living sponge, a large opening to the outside through which the current of water exits after passing through the spongocoel. Wastes diffuse into the water and the water is pumped through ...

and will eventually settle and attach elsewhere. Since the larvae are developed inside the spongilla it is

viviparous In animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, with the maternal circulation providing for the metabolic needs of the embryo's development, until the mother gives birth to a fully or partially developed juve ...

. Unlike marine sponges, freshwater sponges are exposed to far more variable environmental conditions, so they have developed

gemmule Gemmules are internal buds found in sponges and are involved in asexual reproduction. It is an asexually reproduced mass of cells, that is capable of developing into a new organism i.e., an adult sponge. Role in asexual reproduction Asexual re ...

s as an overwintering mechanism. When exposed to excessively cold or other harsh conditions, the sponges form gemmules. Gemmules are highly resistant buds that can live dormant for extended periods of time. When conditions improve, the gemmules "germinate" and a new sponge is born.

Species

* '' Spongilla alba'' Carter, 1849 * ''

Spongilla arctica ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Annandale, 1915 * ''

Spongilla cenota ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Penney & Racek, 1968 * ''

Spongilla chaohuensis ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Cheng, 1991 * ''

Spongilla gutenbergiana ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Müller, Zahn & Maidhof, 1982 * ''

Spongilla helvetica ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Annandale, 1909 * ''

Spongilla jiujiangensis ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Cheng, 1991 * ''

Spongilla lacustris ''Spongilla lacustris'' is a species of freshwater sponge from the family Spongillidae that inhabits rivers and lakes, often growing on logs or rocks. ''Lacustris'' is a Latin word meaning "related to or associated with lakes". ''Spongilla lacus ...

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

* ''

Spongilla mucronata ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Topsent, 1932 * ''

Spongilla permixta ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Weltner, 1895 * ''

Spongilla prespensis ''Spongilla prespensis'' is freshwater sponge endemic to Lake Prespa The Lake Prespa is located on the tripoint of North Macedonia, Albania and Greece. It is a system of two lakes separated by an isthmus: the Great Prespa Lake, divided betw ...

'' Hadzische, 1953 * ''

Spongilla sarasinorum ''Spongilla'' is a genus of freshwater sponges containing over 200 different species. Spongilla was first publicly recognized in 1696 by Leonard Plukenet and can be found in lakes, ponds and slow streams.''Spongilla'' have a leuconoid body form w ...

'' Weltner, 1901 * '' Spongilla shikaribensis'' Sasaki, 1934 * '' Spongilla stankovici'' Arndt, 1938 * '' Spongilla wagneri'' Potts, 1889

References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography * Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 19, 2007 at http://animaldiversity.org. * *

External links

*
Integrated Taxonomica Information System (ITIS): Spongilla Lamarck, 1816 Taxonomic Serial No.: 47692

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI): Spongilla Taxonomy ID: 6054
{{Authority control Sponge genera Spongillidae Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck