Water is pumped into the sponge through tiny pores on its tough outer skin where microscopic food particles are filtered out. Some sponges can pump up to 6 gallons of water each day.
Sponges vary in size, shape, and color.
Divers find green, yellow, orange, red, and purple sponges, which must be at least 5 inches across to be harvested. Some sponges, however, can grow up to 6 feet across. The sponges you buy have been cleaned and don't look like their living form because all the living tissue has been removed. Only the skeleton remains. They live in temperate waters, subtropical, and tropical waters.