What does the redbeard sponge eat?
Redbeard sponges feed by: • Drawing water and food particles through the ostia into chambers that have beating, hair-like flagella. • The current created by the beating flagella drives water and waste products through a system of canals and out the sponge’s oscula. How does the redbeard sponge reproduce? Redbeard sponges can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Asexual reproduction takes place when branches are damaged or broken off and the broken fragments regenerate or bud into complete sponges. Sexual reproduction occurs when: • One sponge releases clouds of sperm into the water. • The sperm is carried to another sponge, and eggs are fertilized internally. • The fertilized eggs are then released into the water, where they develop into larvae. • Larvae fall to the bottom and search for a suitable surface to settle on. Once they attach themselves, they metamorphose into juvenile sponges. Young redbeard sponges are usually flat, rather than thick and branching. However, they have the