HArp Sponge (Chondrocladia lyra)
The harp sponge, of the Chondrocladia genus, is a species of carnivorous sea sponge, first found off the coast of California, at depths of around 11, 000 feet. Unlike most members of Porifera, which are filter-feeders, consuming bacteria and other microscopic organisms from the water filtering through their bodies, the harp sponge uses the velcro-like hooks on its appendages or vanes to ensnare larger organisms such as crustaceans. The prey is then held with a digestive membrane, and the animal is broken down until it can be ingested through the pores of the sponge. This species of the Porifera phylum has its skeleton underneath its vital organs, and the skeleton exists only to give these organs and skin form.