Red+Beard+Sponge

Phylum: Porifera Class: Demospongiae
 * Red Beard Sponge;** //Clathria prolifera// Synonym: //Microciona prolifera//


 * __Size:__** 6mm in diameter, 20cm in height. Base is less than 3mm thick, 20cm across.
 * Not visible without magnification.

__**Habitat:**__ Bays & harbours in dock fouling and on the undersides of rocks. Attached to rocks, pillings, and other hard objects in shallow bays and marshes.
 * __Location:__** US West Coast


 * __Life Cycle:__** Larvae are released in the summer and fall and swim at the surface for about a day. Then, they crawl to the bottom for another day before actually hatching. Young sponges consist of a thin crusting layer, and before growing their branches are frequently confused for other species. Red Beard Sponges are animals, not plants, so they cannot live out of water. They can live anywhere from 3 months to 20 years.

__**Male & Females:**__ Sponges are both male and female. However, they can reproduce sexually and asexually. They produce sexually by releasing a cloud of sperm into the water and the sperm is carried to another sponge, intentionally fertilizing it. The fertilized eggs are then released into the water creating larvae.

__**Interesting Facts:**__
 * The sponge's surface is covered with tiny pores called oscula and ostia.
 * Red Beard Sponges feed by drawing food and water particles through the ostia into chambers that have beating, hair-like flagella. The current created by the flagella contracts water and other wastes through a system of canals and out the oscula.
 * The Red Beard Sponge is the most common sponge.
 * It houses shrimps, worms, crabs, and small bay creatures.

The Red Beard Sponge has helped scientists understand why some transplant patients have tissue rejection. It has a cell-to-cell recognition system that is similar to humans but much simpler.
 * __Human Impact:__**

__Internet Information Resources:__ [] [] [] __Internet Picture Resources:__ [|underpressure-spurdog.blogspot.com] [|njscuba.net] [|pressofac.mycapture.com]
 * __Zookeeper Taylor Cebuly:__**