olynthus

views updated May 21 2018

olynthus A short-lived stage in the development of some calcareous Porifera, formed when the colony becomes attached to a substrate. It consists of a hollow, vase-shaped body composed of an inner layer of choanocytes and an outer dermal layer. Water enters through pores in the body and leaves through the ‘mouth’ (the osculum) of the ‘vase’.