12. Taxon Group: Porifera

This is part of the collection "DToL Taxon-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Marine Metazoa", lead by the Other Metazoa Working Group. The SOP collection contains guidance on how to process the various marine Metazoa species within the scope of the Darwin Tree of Life project. The guidance specifically refers to the tissue samples needed for DNA barcoding (which takes place at the Natural History Museum (NHM) and at the Marine Biological Association (MBA)) and outlines the dissected tissues required for whole genome sequencing, which takes place at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Every specimen is submitted for DNA barcoding first before potentially being sent to the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Definition: The phylum Porifera, also known as sponges, are multicellular organisms that consist of bodies with pores and channels. These allow water to circulate through them; the water deposits nutrients and then leaves through a hole called the osculum, an excretory structure in the living sponge.

Including: Calcarea, Homoscleromorpha, marine Demospongiae.

Excluding: Freshwater species; Hexactinellida.

See the Guidelines for important details and checklists.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Dr Christine Morrow at Queen's University of Belfast for reviewing this SOP.