Study Guides/Biology/Euspongia (Bath Sponge)
Study Guide · Biology

Euspongia: The Bath Sponge

In Class 11 Biology (Animal Kingdom), we study the simplest of all animals: the Sponges. A very famous example from the Phylum Porifera is Euspongia, commonly known as the Bath Sponge.

Question (Click to Flip)

What is the common name of Euspongia?

Answer

The common name of Euspongia is the 'Bath Sponge'.

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Key Facts

Scientific Name: Euspongia.

Common Name: Bath Sponge.

Phylum: Porifera (Sponges).

Skeleton: Made of soft, elastic Spongin fibres.

Use: Historically harvested and dried to be used as a natural bathing sponge.

Classification

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Porifera (pore-bearing animals)
  • Class: Demospongiae
  • Genus: Euspongia

Characteristics of Euspongia

  1. Habitat: They are mostly found in shallow, warm marine waters (like the Mediterranean Sea).
  2. Body Structure: They are multi-cellular but do not have true tissues or organs. Their body is highly porous, allowing water to flow continuously through them (water canal system).
  3. Skeleton: Unlike hard, spiky sponges, the skeleton of Euspongia is made entirely of Spongin fibres. Spongin is a soft, flexible, and elastic protein.
  4. Shape: They are asymmetrical and look like a round, brownish bulbous mass attached to rocks.

Why is it called the Bath Sponge?

Before the invention of synthetic plastic sponges, dried Euspongia was harvested by humans for bathing and cleaning. Because its skeleton is made entirely of soft spongin fibres (with no hard silica spicules), it is highly absorbent, soft on the skin, and does not scratch.

Questions and Answers

What is the common name of Euspongia?+

The common name of Euspongia is the 'Bath Sponge'.

To which phylum does Euspongia belong?+

Euspongia belongs to the Phylum Porifera, which includes all sponges.

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