10 Sea Sponges Facts You Didn’t Know About

Blue Vase Sponge photo by: Cherilyn Chin
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10 Sea Sponges Facts You Didn’t Know About

1. Sea Sponges are animals, not plants.

2. Sea Sponges have been in the ocean for 500 million years.

3. Sea Sponges don’t move, but they filter lots of water for food (plankton) and oxygen.

4. Sea Sponges are among the most simple of multi-cellular organisms.

5. There are about 5,000 species of sea sponges worldwide.

6. Some sponges are found in freshwater lakes and rivers.

7. The smallest sea sponges are 1 inch long (3 cm) (or flat against a rock), the largest over 4 feet tall (1 m).

8. Sponges do not have heads, eyes, brains, arms, legs, ears, muscles, nerves or organs!

9. Sea Sponges have pores that filter water in for food and oxygen, and pores that push out waste.

And the last sea sponges fact is:
10. Sea Sponges have few predators other than sea turtles, and fish because some produce toxins.

For more information see: Sea Sponges: Pharmacies of the Sea from the Smithsonian

Also see: 10 Fabulous Sea Cucumber Facts