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{{Classification
|name = Porifera
|image = SpongeBob in Underwater Friends.png
|caption = SpongeBob with his real-life counterpart, as seen in ''[[Underwater Friends]]''.
|types = Round<br />Square
|colors = Brown, green, and yellow (although they change colors when absorbing colored liquids)
|kingdom = Animal
|phylum = Porifera
|first appearance = "[[Help Wanted]]"
|portrayers = [[Tom Kenny]] ({{Link|SpongeBob SquarePants}}, [[Harold SquarePants]], [[Grandpa SquarePants]], [[SpongeBob's grandson]], [[SpongeGar]], [[SpongeBuck SquarePants]], [[Primitive Sponge]], [[SpongeTron]], the [[drifter]], [[Girly Teengirl]], [[Spongy Spongy]], [[SpongeBob guard]], Invincibubble, and [[SpongeTom]])<br>[[Marion Ross]] ([[Grandma SquarePants]])<br>Christopher Guest ({{Link|Stanley S. SquarePants}})<br>[[John DiMaggio]] ([[BlackJack (character)|BlackJack]])<br>[[Sirena Irwin]] ([[Margaret SquarePants]])<br>[[Garnett Sailor]] ([[Captain Blue SquarePants]])
}}
[[File:Characters_and_their_real-life_counterparts.jpg|thumb|SpongeBob meets a real-life sea sponge in an issue of ''[[Nickelodeon Magazine]]''.]]
'''Porifera''', more commonly known as '''sea sponges''' or '''sponges''', are invertebrate animals that live underwater. In real life, sea sponges cannot walk or swim, so they eat by {{W|filter-feeding}}. Many sea sponges reproduce by "{{W|budding}}," which is when a portion of the sponge breaks off and becomes a complete animal. Humans have used dried sea sponges as cleaning tools throughout history, but nowadays, most cleaning sponges are man-made.

In {{SBSP}}, the [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|titular character]] is a sea sponge. The series' creator, [[Stephen Hillenburg]], was a marine science teacher and thought that the sea sponge was a fascinating and underrepresented animal. In ''[[The Origin of SpongeBob SquarePants]]'', Hillenburg explained that he chose to focus on a sea sponge because he considered it "the weirdest animal" on Earth. SpongeBob's early designs looked more accurate to a realistically-shaped sea sponge, but Hillenburg later thought that a square shape would emphasize the character's "nerdiness."

SpongeBob often displays traits typical of real-life sea sponges. He filter-feeds in "[[I Had an Accident]]" and reproduces by budding in multiple episodes, including "[[Pressure]]." In ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants (musical)|The SpongeBob Musical]]'', SpongeBob's exact species of sea sponge is identified: ''{{W|Aplysina fistularis}}'', a yellow sea sponge commonly found in open waters.<ref>''[[SpongeBob SquarePants (musical)|The SpongeBob Musical]]''</ref>

==Characters==
The characters that belong to this phylum are:
*{{Link|SpongeBob SquarePants}}
*[[BlackJack (character)|BlackJack]]
*[[Captain Blue SquarePants]]
*[[Girly Teengirl]]
*[[Grandma SquarePants]]
*[[Grandpa SquarePants]]
*[[Margaret SquarePants]]
*[[Harold SquarePants]]
*[[SpongeBob (primitive)]]
*[[Sherm SquarePants]]
*[[SpongeBob's grandson]]
*[[SpongeBuck SquarePants]]
*{{Link|Stanley S. SquarePants}}
*Singing traffic cop
*[[SpongeGar]]
*[[SpongeTron]]
*The [[drifter]]
*[[Todd SquarePants]]
*[[SquarePants family#Larry|Larry]]
*Invincibubble
*Sponge on the [[New Sponge]] billboard
*[[Spongy Spongy]]
*[[SpongeBob guard]]
*[[SpongeTom]]
*[[SpongeGoose]]
*[[Captain SpongeHab]]
*[[Pink SpongeMom]]
*[[Blue SpongeDad]]

==Description==
===Square===
Since several sponges in the series are based on SpongeBob's design, many are square-shaped. The sponges that are square are SpongeBob, Grandpa SquarePants, Primitive Sponge, SpongeBob's grandson, Stanley, Sherm, the drifter, Girly Teengirl, SpongeTron, SpongeGar, SpongeBuck, Todd, and the sponge on the New Sponge billboard. All but Sherm have a long nose.

====Short====
This is the most common look of the square sponges in the series. The sponges that are square are SpongeBob, Grandpa SquarePants, Primitive Sponge, SpongeBob's grandson, Sherm, the drifter, Girly Teengirl, SpongeTron, SpongeGar, SpongeBuck, Todd, and the sponge on the New Sponge billboard.

They are all vertical rectangular shaped.

=====Yellow=====
This is the most common color of the short square sponges. The sponges that are yellow are SpongeBob, Grandpa SquarePants, Primitive Sponge, SpongeBob's grandson, Sherm, the drifter, Girly Teengirl, SpongeTron, SpongeGar, SpongeBuck, Todd, and SpongeTom.

=====Green=====
The only sponge that is green is the sponge on the New Sponge billboard.

====Tall====
The only sponge that is tall is Stanley S. SquarePants. Unlike the short square sponges, he has a vertical rectangular head and a skinny body. He is yellow with olive green holes.

===Round===
The sponges that are round are Blue SquarePants, Harold SquarePants, Grandma SquarePants, Margaret SquarePants, and BlackJack.

====Brown====
The only sponge that is brown is Harold SquarePants.

====Tan====
The sponges that are tan are Blue SquarePants, Grandma SquarePants, Margaret SquarePants, and BlackJack.

===Phosphorescent Kitchen Sponges===
====Phosphorescent Green====
Many of these sponges appear during the song "(Just A) Simple Sponge." in ''[[The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!]]''.

====Phosphorescent Yellow====
Only two of these appear when SpongeBob plays his nose during "(Just A) Simple Sponge." in ''The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!''.

==Families==
===[[SquarePants family]]===
{{Main|SquarePants family}}

===The drifter's family===
The only known member is the drifter, a sponge who appeared at [[The Salty Spitoon]] and was thought to be SpongeBob by its bouncer, [[Reg]].{{e|No Weenies Allowed}}

===Teengirl family===
The only known family member is Girly Teengirl, a sponge who appears at [[Eugene H. Krabs and Pearl Krabs' house|Mr. Krabs and Pearl's house]] during {{Link|Pearl}}'s sleepover. Pearl thinks that Girly is SpongeBob in disguise, working for {{Link|Mr. Krabs}}, who gets kicked out to avoid trouble.{{e|The Slumber Party}}

===SpongeTom's family===
The only known member is SpongeTom, a sponge who appears at the [[Krusty Krab]], whom Mr. Krabs hired to temporarily replace SpongeBob.{{e|Broken Alarm}}

==Habitats==
SpongeGar lived in a primitive pineapple with his snail [[Prehistoric Gary|Gary]].

Grandma SquarePants lives alone in a cottage.

Captain Blue, Harold, and Margaret live in metal houses.

BlackJack lives in a wooden house with his pet worm.

SpongeBob lives in a pineapple at the address {{Link|124 Conch Street}}. He lives with his pet snail, Gary.

Although it has not been confirmed, SpongeBob's grandson might also live in the pineapple with or instead of SpongeBob in the future.

Girly Teengirl is said to live in Farawayville.

==Diet==
As SpongeBob once said, in real life, sponges do filter-feed. However, in the show, they are able to consume many things.

SpongeGar was able to eat a large amount of plants and non-living things, such as sand once he and his friends discovered fire.

SpongeBuck was known to have made chili that tasted bad to at least Mr. Krabs.

Grandma SquarePants is best known for her [[cookies]]. She has also appeared with a cake. Her kitchen also contains a bowl of what might be food balls.

Blue was seen with a tomato juice.

Harold, Margaret, and SpongeBob have all appeared eating {{Link|Krabby Patties}}.

SpongeBob has also consumed chips, [[chocolate bar]]s, enchiladas, [[barnacle loaf]], at least one [[Jelly Patty]], [[Kelp Nougat Crunch]], at least one [[Kelp Shake]], a [[SpongeBob's sundae|peanut onion sundae]], once a [[Rusty on Rye]], apples, and many other foods and drinks. He also ate [[Snail-Po]] on one occasion.

==Real-life sponges==
<gallery widths="180" captionalign="center" position="center">
330px-Barrel6.jpg|Barrel Sponge
Oscarella lobularis (Schmidt, 1862).jpg|Flesh Sponge
SpongeSeaForPage.jpg|Sea Sponge yellow-colored
Feral Friends 224.png|Concept of a real-life sponge in-series ("[[Feral Friends]]")
News Magazine.png
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{WP|Sponge}}
[[Category:Sponges]]
[[Category:Groups]]