Hive sponges

Alvearians are a diverse class belonging to the gemellata phylum. Are characterized by being composed of two types of individuals. The queen, sessile, is in charge of giving birth to the drones, in charge of collecting food. The queen later will digest it and transform into a ¨nectar¨ assimilable by the drones.

Most species of alvearians are sessile and inhabit muddy bottoms or forming reefs, but a few are pelagic and can float on the surface of the water. The drones are members of the meiofauna or plankton.

In the image, Alvearia shows its benthic drones carrying. Size of the queen: 4 cm.