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Definition of poriferan in English:

poriferan

Pronunciation /pəˈrif(ə)rən/ /pəˈrɪf(ə)rən/

noun

Zoology

  • An aquatic invertebrate animal of the phylum Porifera; a sponge.

    ‘With a worldwide fauna of at least 15,000 species, poriferans are among the most diverse of sessile marine taxa.’
    • ‘In all cases, poriferans have a canal system, through which they pump water.’
    • ‘The first seems to have occurred before the split between poriferans and the other metazoans.’
    • ‘Between 1859 and 1866, he worked on many "invertebrate" groups, including radiolarians, poriferans (sponges) and annelids (segmented worms).’
    • ‘Poriferans don't have mouths; instead, they have tiny pores in their outer walls through which water is drawn.’

adjective

Zoology

  • Relating to or denoting poriferans.

    ‘In that time, the first undoubted fossil annelids, arthropods, brachiopods, echinoderms, molluscs, onychophorans, poriferans, and priapulids show up in rocks all over the world.’
    • ‘For that matter, even the syncytial ‘gut’ departs further from the cnidarian or poriferan system than from the bilaterian archenteron.’
    • ‘Between 1859 and 1866, he worked on many ‘invertebrate’ groups, including radiolarians, poriferans and annelids (segmented worms).’
    • ‘Thus, poriferan spicules and chancelloriid sclerites do not appear homologous.’