Sycon or Scypha

Sycon or Scypha

Contents hide
1) Classification of Sycon or Scypha
2) Habit and habitat
3) Distribution
4) General Characterstics
5) Identification

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
Classification of Sycon or Scypha

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.

General Characterstics

  • 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.
Sycon or Scypha

Identification

Since the animal has radial tubes, oscular fringe, ostia and all above features, hence it is Sycon.

Leave a Reply