The Class Hyalospongiae is made up of organisms commonly known as Glass Sponges. Their tissues contain glass-like structural particles made of silica, known as spicules. They are deep-water marine sponges and a skeleton often resembling glass when dried. These sponges live attached to hard surfaces and consume small bacteria and plankton that they filter from the surrounding water. Unlike most sponges, glass sponges produce extremely large spicules that fuse together in beautiful patterns to form a “glass house”; a complex skeleton that will often remain intact even after the sponge itself dies.