porifera – aquatic invertebrate animals also known as sponges

(Pronounced por-ih-fuh-ruh)

To remember the meaning of porifera, use the following mnemonic:

In my peripheral (porifera) vision I could see the sponges (sea sponges).

Porifera, commonly known as sponges, are the simplest multicellular animals. They are aquatic organisms, mostly marine, that lack true tissues, organs and body symmetry, instead having a simple cellular organisation. Sponges have a unique body structure built around a system of pores, canals, and chambers that allows water to flow through their bodies. They are filter feeders that pump water through their porous body and trap food particles like bacteria or plankton. 

Sponges attach permanently to hard surfaces like rocks and coral reefs and can exhibit a wide diversity in size, shape and colour. They can reproduce both sexually by releasing sperm and eggs into the water, and asexually through budding or fragmentation. Sponges possess extraordinary regenerative abilities that allow them to completely regrow from small fragments, making them virtually immortal under the right conditions.