Sponge digestive system diversity and evolution: filter feeding to carnivory

Nelly Godefroy (1) , Emilie Le Goff (1) , Camille Martinand-Mari (1) , Khalid Belkhir (1) , Jean Vacelet (2) , Stephen Baghdiguian (1)

1 UMR ISEM - Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier
2 IMBE - Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale

Sponges are an ancient basal life form, so understanding their evolution is key to understanding all metazoan evolution. Sponges have very unusual feeding mechanisms, with an intricate network of progressively optimized filtration units: from the simple choanocyte lining of a central cavity, or spongocoel, to more complex chambers and canals. Furthermore, in a single evolutionary event, a group of sponges transitioned to carnivory. This major evolutionary transition involved replacing the filter-feeding apparatus with mobile phagocytic cells that migrate collectively towards the trapped prey. Here, we focus on the diversity and evolution of sponge nutrition systems and the amazing adaptation to carnivory.

Keywords: Sponge; Porifera; Evolution; Choanocyte; Filtration; Carnivory

Domains: Environmental Sciences; Environmental Sciences; Biodiversity and Ecology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Development Biology

Nelly Godefroy, Emilie Le Goff, Camille Martinand-Mari, Khalid Belkhir, Jean Vacelet, et al.. Sponge digestive system diversity and evolution: filter feeding to carnivory. Cell and Tissue Research, 2019, 377 (3), pp.341-351. ⟨10.1007/s00441-019-03032-8⟩. ⟨hal-02296759⟩