Classification of Sycon or Scypha
Phylum :- Porifera (Pore bearing, cellular grade, asymmetrical or radially symmetrical).
Class :- Calcarea (Calcareous spicules present).
Order :- Heterocoe Syconoid sponges with internal folds.
Genus :- Sycon
Habit and habitat
- Sycon or Scypha is a small, solitary or colonial marine sponge found in shallow to approximately 60 fathoms deep in well oxygenated water.
Distribution
- Common in Europe. Distributed from Rhode Island to Greenland
Comments on Sycon
- Complex vase-shaped body, measuring 20 to 25 mm in length and 5 to 6 mm in diameter.
- Each cylinder bulges in the middle and opens to the exterior by osculum. Body surface is covered by a ostia bearing membrane.
- At the distal free end there is a large osculum, encircled by a fringe of large giant monaxon spicules forming funnel-shaped collar or oscular fringe.
- Proximal and or base attached to substratum .
- Body wall is thick through which monaxon, triaxon and tetraxon spicules project.
- Body wall is composed of outer dermal epithelium, middle mesenchyma and inner flattened epithelium lining spongocoel which opens through the osculum.
- Canal system is syconoid. Choanocytes are restricted to radial canals. Course of water current is ostia > prosopyles > radial > canals > apopyles > spongocoel > osculum > exterior. Nutrition, respiration and excretion by canal system.
- Hermaphroditic.
- Reproduction by sexual or asexual methods. Asexual reproduction by budding and regeneration, while sexual by ova and sperms. Larva is amphiblastula.
Identification
- Since the animal has radial tubes, oscular fringe, ostia and all above features, hence it is Sycon.
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