Ecological Niche
Porifera are heterotrophs, another of the few things that distinguishes them as animals and not autotrophic plants. Heterotrophs do not make their own nutrients through photosynthesis or organic chemical synthesis, instead they consume organic matter to feed. Another way of looking at it is that they cannot make carbon, but intead obtains organic carbon for growth.
More specifically Porifera are detritivores, meaning they obtain nutrients by consuming detritus, which is dead, often microscopic (in the case of Porifera) matter and feces. Detritivores help with decomposition and the cycle of nutrients.
They are not decomposers, such as many species of fungi, bacteria, protists, which instead absorb and metabolize nutrients on the molecular level, whereas detritivores consume matter. Detritivores and decomposers are often thought to be the same, and while they do perform similar tasks, what they are and they way they do so is very different.
The most basic way of viewing trophic levels is producers>herbivores>omnivores>carnivores, but it is also necessary to have detritivores to filter out the left overs. That's what sponges are great for, they clean and filter out the water wherever they live. They are an essential factor for reefs, because in a mini ecosystem like that there is such close proximity and so much interaction, that it produces more detritus and raises the need for cleaner water at the same time. The increased dead matter benefits the Porifera and their consumption of it benefits all other niches and trophic levels.
Chemical components in sponges have been found to contribute to the production of more successful antibiotics that help treat/cure strep throat, arthritis, leukemia, and more.
More specifically Porifera are detritivores, meaning they obtain nutrients by consuming detritus, which is dead, often microscopic (in the case of Porifera) matter and feces. Detritivores help with decomposition and the cycle of nutrients.
They are not decomposers, such as many species of fungi, bacteria, protists, which instead absorb and metabolize nutrients on the molecular level, whereas detritivores consume matter. Detritivores and decomposers are often thought to be the same, and while they do perform similar tasks, what they are and they way they do so is very different.
The most basic way of viewing trophic levels is producers>herbivores>omnivores>carnivores, but it is also necessary to have detritivores to filter out the left overs. That's what sponges are great for, they clean and filter out the water wherever they live. They are an essential factor for reefs, because in a mini ecosystem like that there is such close proximity and so much interaction, that it produces more detritus and raises the need for cleaner water at the same time. The increased dead matter benefits the Porifera and their consumption of it benefits all other niches and trophic levels.
Chemical components in sponges have been found to contribute to the production of more successful antibiotics that help treat/cure strep throat, arthritis, leukemia, and more.