The Glass Rope Sponge is a very unique species of sponges. For instance, these sponges have no organ system or tissues, can grow to be 6ft tall, and its skeleton is completely made up of silica, giving this species their glass-like appearance. These sponges are usually found in deeper waters, and often serve as a shelter for invertebrates and fish. Furthermore, Glass Rope Sponges use to be very popular wedding gifts in Japan due to their elegant look and structure. Just like mostly all sponges, the Glass Rope Sponge can reproduce sexually and asexually alike,
To produce sexually, the Glass Rope Sponge releases its sperm into the water to fertilize the eggs of a neighboring sponge. The eggs soon develop into a larvae, and then search for a surface that will allow it to grow into an adult sponge. To produce asexually, the Glass Rope Sponge goes through the process of budding. As the sponge develops a bud that will eventually develop into a new sponge, it stores new sponge-cells into a vesicle or sac. The sponge then releases this vesicle into the water before it dies, allowing the bud to develop into a new sponge. |