When we hear the word sponge, what comes to our mind first may be the sponge that we use to mop a wet surface or absorb water.

               The sea sponge is a type of invertebrate animal that lives in the world’s oceans. Sea sponges can be of many different colours, sizes, and shapes.

               They are the simplest multi cellular animals. They do not move around much but stay in one place. The surface of a sponge has many small pores or tiny holes.

               Water that is laden with food particles passes into its body through these pores. There are over 5,000 known species of sponges. They can be found attached to surfaces anywhere, from the shallow water near a beach to the depths of the ocean. Some types of sponges have been found to live over 300 years! Sponges can live in both warm and cold water as well as in both deep and shallow water. Sea sponges can only survive in saltwater, so if we put them in freshwater, they will quickly die. They are also very sensitive to air.

Picture credit: google