Porifera

Callyspongia vaginalis (tube sponge) is a species of sponge that lives in tropical places all over the world. It can be found in Western Atlantic, South Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. This species grows in depths of two to seventy meters and in water temperatures of 20-25°C.

Sponges are the believed to be one of the oldest organisms on earth. One of the necessary adaptations to survive in the early stages of more complex life forms is that it needed to be able to live where there were limited amounts of oxygen. At the time of their development, oxygen was scarce, so they adapted to those conditions. Today, sponges have still held onto this adaptation and would be able to survive should oxygen levels on earth ever plummet.

Ircinia campana, commonly known as the vase sponge, is a species found in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and off of the coast of Florida. They are found in shallow to mid-range reefs, similar to the above species.

The niche, how it reproduces, and its adaptations are all like the previous species.

Cruickshank, Samantha. "Callyspongia vaginalis (Branching Vase Sponge)." The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago . 2016. Accessed January 10, 2017. https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/documents/Callyspongia_vaginalis.pdf.

Knight, J.D. "Sponges & Sea Squirts." Sponges & Sea Squirts - Coral Reef Life on Sea and Sky. Accessed January 10, 2017. http://www.seasky.org/coral-reef-life/sponges-sea-squirts.html.