Poecilosclerid sponges are the most diverse group of sponges, with thousands of species ranging from deep ocean to shallow shoreline habitats. Most poecilosclerids share a skeletal feature found in no other sponges. Many of their spicules (tiny, mineralized rods that make up their skeleton) have shovel or hook-like structures on the ends. These anchors (chelae) are scattered throughout their spongy body tissue, making it more rigid. The function of the shovel end is still unknown in most poecilosclerids. However, some poeciliosclerids are carnivorous (rare for a sponge), and their chelae stick out all over their body like a layer of Velcro. Small prey, such as tiny crustacenas, get snagged on the hooked ends. Sponge scientists (spongologists) wonder whether all poeciliosclerids had a carnivorous ancestor with chelae.

Sponges achieve reproduction in a whole variety of ways. All sponges can reproduce sexually, meaning that egg and sperms cells get together for fertilization of the egg. How that happens varies from sponge to sponge. Usually, fertilization occurs outside of the female sponge in a meet-up of egg and sperm cells in the ocean (good luck!). Some sponges have internal fertilization, where the sperm cell swims to fertilize the egg inside the female. She may then lay eggs (oviparity) or release live larvae that have developed inside her body (viviparity). Most sponges are hermaphrodites, able to be both males and females. They might act as both sexes at the same time, or more likely one sex first and then the other. Many sponges sidestep fertilization at times by reproducing asexually. They either pinch off buds of new cells or break off clumps from their body. In either case, the cells reattach attach to a substrate and grow into adult sponges.