原始海棲多細胞動物的門，涵蓋大約五千種生物；牠們棲息於所有海域，可附著於潮間帶、海深兩萬九千呎處，或更深的海中。早期博物學家認為海綿動物是植物，因為牠們外型呈枝狀，且沒有明顯的活動。海綿動物的動物特質記錄最早出現於西元1755年，西元1765年經觀察發現其入水孔的開合活動後，證實為動物。然而，海綿具有不同於其他動物的身體構造、功能與生長情況。許多動物學家認為，海綿動物在動物界中的地位是獨特的，並歸為側生動物亞界；亦有其他說法認為，海綿動物與無脊椎動物中的腔腸動物具親屬關係。海綿動物門的成員為水生動物，且大多屬海棲，牠們的大小、形狀及顏色不一，身體多孔，體內具矽質或鈣質骨骼，終生獨自或成群附著於其他物體上生活；海水透過入水孔進入牠們體內的管道，再從水中過濾食物粒子為食。牠們的身體構造十分簡單，無口、消化腔、神經以及肌肉，亦無實質行動，有時被視為原生動物，而非多細胞有機體。至於這些動物重量輕、多孔且易彎曲的纖維狀骨骼組成物質，則稱為「海綿 (材料)」。

海綿動物門(門)　(P,,U,繁體中文-偏好,D,U,U)
hai mien tung wu men(P,,U,韋氏拼音-偏好,UF,U,U)
hǎi mián dòng wù mén (P,,U,漢語拼音-偏好,UF,U,U)
hai mian dong wu men(P,,U,漢語拼音(無聲調)-偏好,UF,U,U)
Porifera(phylum)　(P,,U,英文-偏好,D,U,N)
Porifera(phylum)　(P,,U,拉丁語-偏好,D,U,N)
sponge(animal)　(,U,英文-非偏好,AD,U,N)
sponges(animals)　(,U,英文-非偏好,UF,U,N)
spunges(animals)　(,U,英文-非偏好,UF,U,N)

藝術與建築詞典根目錄
....代理者層面
........活體有機體
............真核生物 (域)
................動物界 (界)
....................海綿動物門 (門)

source plant or animal for....

海綿(材料)

英文....

Phylum of primitive multicellular aquatic animals. There are approximately 5,000 described species and inhabit all seas, where they occur attached to surfaces from the intertidal zone to depths of 29,000 feet or more. Early naturalists regarded the sponges as plants because of their frequent branching form and their lack of obvious movement. The animal nature of sponges was first described in 1755, and was confirmed in 1765 after observations revealed movement of their openings. In structure, function, and development, however, sponges are distinct from other animals. Many zoologists regard sponges as occupying an isolated position in the animal kingdom and classify them in the subkingdom Parazoa. Other sources consider sponges relatives of the invertebrate animal group coelenterates. Aquatic, chiefly marine animals of the phylum Porifera, varying greatly in size, shape, and color, and having a porous body and siliceous or calcareous internal framework, living permanently attached singly or in groups, feeding b filtering food particles from the water that enters their internal body channels through their pores. They are very simply organized with no mouth, digestive cavity, nerves, muscle, or true behavior, and sometimes are considered to be colonized protozoans rather than single multicellular organisms. For the light, porous, yielding fibrous skeletal matter of these animals, use "sponge (material)."

海綿動物門(門)............	[AS-Academia Sinica]
.................	國家教育研究院－雙語詞彙、學術名詞暨辭書資訊網 December 18, 2012
Porifera(phylum)............	[VP]
.................	Encyclopedia Americana (1985) illustration, 1:864, phylum name; ill. p.863
.................	CDMARC Subjects: LCSH (1988-)
.................	Judge and Toyne, Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia (1985) Vol. 2, 321, phylum name
.................	Thesaurus of Park, Recreation, and Leisure Service Terms (1990) BT invertebrates
.................	Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1961) phylum name
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-) "sponge," accessed 11 May 2006
sponge(animal)............	[VP]
.................	Getty Vocabulary Program rules
sponges(animals)............	[VP]
.................	Academic American Encyclopedia (1985) 1:10; sponges
.................	Encyclopedia Americana (1985) illustration, Vol. 1, 864, ill. 863; sponges
.................	CDMARC Subjects: LCSH (1988-) BT invertebrates; sponges
.................	Oxford English Dictionary (1989) sponges
.................	Judge and Toyne, Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia (1985) Vol. 2, 321; sponges
.................	Thesaurus of Park, Recreation, and Leisure Service Terms (1990) sponges
.................	Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1961) sponges
.................	Getty Vocabulary Program rules
.................	AATA database (1995-) 129131 checked 26 January 2012
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-) "Four-Kingdom Scheme of Classification," 15 February 2005
spunges(animals)............	[VP]
.................	Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1961) in entry "sponges;" spunges
.................	Getty Vocabulary Program rules
Subject:............	[GCI]
.................	AATA database (1995-) 129131 checked 26 January 2012

Getty AAT: 300265683 Getty AAT: http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?find=costume&logic=AND¬e=&subjectid=300265683
聯合目錄： 海綿動物門 、hai mien tung wu men 、hǎi mián dòng wù mén 、hai mian dong wu men 、Porifera 、sponge 、sponges 、spunges 、Porifera