Sponges

Fact file

Sponges Proper name: Phylum Porifera (poor-if-er-rah)
Common name: Sponges

Numbers of species: About 10,000
Where they are found: In the oceans and in freshwater

Description: The simplest multicellular (many-celled) animals. They usually fix themselves to rocks on the sea bed, and feed by filtering small pieces of food from the water around them.

Need to know: Although they may look like seaweed and other plants, sponges are definitely animals - they do not make their own food as plants do!

Find out more about sponges
Find out more about fossil sponges

Go back to the Tree of life to find out more about other living things.