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Glass Sponge

Other Invertebrates

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Hexactinellid sponges, commonly called glass sponges, have skeletons made of four- or six-pointed siliceous spicules. They are usually classified with other sponges in the phylum Porifera, though some researchers consider them distinct enough to belong in their own phylum, Symplasma. Some marine biologists believe glass sponges may be among the longest-lived animals on Earth, tentatively estimating a maximum age of up to 15,000 years for some individuals.

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