The filtration apparatus for food collection in freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae)

Weissenfels, Norbert

doi:10.1007/bf01632994

Cited by 62 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…These are a group of haplosclerid demosponges which colonized freshwater between 183 and 141 million years ago (Meixner et al, 2007). A suite of papers describing the morphology and development of canals, choanocytes and spicules established this as an easy-to-use system (Weissenfels, 1976;Weissenfels and Landschoff, 1977;Weissenfels and Striegler, 1979;Weissenfels, 1980;Weissenfels, 1981;Weissenfels and Hündgen, 1981;Weissenfels, 1982;Weissenfels, 1983;Weissenfels, 1984;Wachtmann et al, 1990;Weissenfels et al, 1990;Weissenfels, 1992). The attractiveness of this model, which was highlighted by Yoko Watanabe through the film 'Life of the freshwater sponge' (Tokyo Film Corporation http://tokyocinema.net/EnglVieo.htm), has led to more recent studies on signalling and coordination of sponge behaviour (Elliott and Leys, 2007;Elliott and Leys, 2010), epithelia Adams, 2010), patterning and most recently, sensory cells (Ludeman et al, 2014).…”

Section: Model Systems In Poriferamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fjerdingstad, 1961;Leys et al, 2011;Mah et al, 2014). In sponges, and in some colonial choanoflagellates, neighbouring collars are also joined near the upper end by a second mucus mesh or by cells (Weissenfels, 1992). The tightness of the resulting filter means that filtration is efficient, and direct measurements of water filtered by sponges show up to 100% removal of bacteria (Maldonado et al, 2012).…”

Section: Ecology Of Ediacaran Seas Sponge Function and Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Elements of a ‘nervous system’ in sponges

Leys

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

126

123

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Genomic and transcriptomic analyses show that sponges possess a large repertoire of genes associated with neuronal processes in other animals, but what is the evidence these are used in a coordination or sensory context in sponges? The very different phylogenetic hypotheses under discussion today suggest very different scenarios for the evolution of tissues and coordination systems in early animals. The sponge genomic 'toolkit' either reflects a simple, pre-neural system used to protect the sponge filter or represents the remnants of a more complex signalling system and sponges have lost cell types, tissues and regionalization to suit their current suspensionfeeding habit. Comparative transcriptome data can be informative but need to be assessed in the context of knowledge of sponge tissue structure and physiology. Here, I examine the elements of the sponge neural toolkit including sensory cells, conduction pathways, signalling molecules and the ionic basis of signalling. The elements described do not fit the scheme of a loss of sophistication, but seem rather to reflect an early specialization for suspension feeding, which fits with the presumed ecological framework in which the first animals evolved.

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Section: Model Systems In Poriferamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ecology Of Ediacaran Seas Sponge Function and Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elements of a ‘nervous system’ in sponges

Leys

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

126

123

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“…Since water flow supports the nutrition process, diversified strainer apparatuses for food collection have been evidenced in the choanocyte chambers of many sponge groups: from the acellular fine-meshed structures of freshwater sponges to specialized central cells (Weissenfels, 1992). In hexactinellids the choanochambers are lined by a thin pinacoderm wrapping the microvillar collars at their mid-level and may contain cytoplasmic strands, the "inner membrane" (Reiswig & Mehl, 1991;Boury-Esnault & Vacelet, 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Differences in the arrangement and organization of canals and choanocyte chambers have been taken in due consideration for both diagnostic traits (Weissenfels, 1980;Langenbruch, 1983aLangenbruch, , b, 1985Langenbruch & Weissenfels, 1987) and functional relevance (Langenbruch & Jones, 1989;Weissenfels, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The function of the central cells seems to be related to the filtering activity of the sponges even though this process can occur in different ways (Connes et al, 1971;Reiswig & Brown, 1977). A filamentous, fine-meshed apparatus at the distal ends of choanocyte collars has recently been described in a few freshwater sponges and, is considered to be involved in the feeding process (Weissenfels, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ultrastructural organization of choanocyte chambers in the haploscleridPellina semitubulosa(Porifera, Demospongiae): A cue for water flow into the sponge body

Sciscioli

Lepore

Corriero

et al. 1997

Italian Journal of Zoology

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Citing articles: 1 View citing articles Ital. J. Zool., 64: 291-296 (1997) ABSTRACTThe choanocyte chambers of the haplosclerid Pellina semitubulosa were investigated with regard to their ultrastructural architecture. They are separated from the mesohyl and contain central cells arranged to form a uniform layer. Their cytoplasmic extensions enter the distal parts of the choanocyte collars, thus enveloping the end of the microvilli. Central cells seal up all the spaces between choanocyte collars. On the basis of choanocyte chamber architecture, a water flow dynamics and related filter feeding activity is proposed, which supports a water passageway through the small microvillar slits into the interior of the collar. A slight detachment of the central cells from the microvillar ends originates spaces for a direct water flow into the chamber. Such a plastic organization might enhance the filtration efficiency and prevent chamber clogging as well.

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Phagocytosis of microbial symbionts balances the carbon and nitrogen budget for the deep‐water boreal sponge Geodia barretti

Leys

Kahn

Fang

et al. 2017

Limnology & Oceanography

124

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Geodia barretti is a massive nearly spherical sponge that forms dense assemblages on the continental shelf of the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea. We studied the metabolism of individual sponges collected using a remotely operated vehicle and maintained in large tanks with high volumes of unfiltered water brought from 160 m depth. We used direct methods (In‐Ex) to measure excurrent flow rates, oxygen removed, and carbon and nutrient flux through the sponges. G. barretti had very low specific filtration (0.26 mL min−1 mL−1 sponge tissue) and low respiration (5.34 ± 0.98 nmol O2 min−1 mL−1 sponge tissue; 8.44 ± 1.51 μmol O2 h−1 g C−1) rates in comparison to other sponges. A net release of nitrogen was detected as NO3−. Bacteria were removed from the water filtered with up to 99% efficiency, yet comprised only 5% of the sponges′ total carbon budget; the remainder consisted of dissolved organic carbon and detritus. High bacterial removal was aided by the presence of a tight gasket of cells that surrounds the collar of each choanocyte filter. A test for potential bypass canals showed removal of fluorescent microspheres until they were excreted 5–12 h after feeding. Electron micrographs showed active uptake of Escherichia coli “fed” to the sponge as well as phagocytosis of symbiont microbes by sponge cells in the mesohyl. These data provide the first comprehensive study of metabolism in a deep‐water high microbial abundance sponge.

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The filtration apparatus for food collection in freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae)

Cited by 62 publications

References 11 publications

Elements of a ‘nervous system’ in sponges

Elements of a ‘nervous system’ in sponges

Ultrastructural organization of choanocyte chambers in the haploscleridPellina semitubulosa(Porifera, Demospongiae): A cue for water flow into the sponge body

Phagocytosis of microbial symbionts balances the carbon and nitrogen budget for the deep‐water boreal sponge Geodia barretti

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