Marine Biodiversity » Marine Sponges » Calcarea » Calcarea Classification » Subclass Calcinea

Definition: Body differentiated into cortex and choanosome reminiscent of a clathroid body composed of anastomosed tubes; cortex composed of large triradiates and/or quadriradiate spicules; choanocyte chambers tubular, often highly ramified and anastomosed; choanoskeleton restricted to walls of the choanocyte chambers, maintaining a distinctly tubular organisation.

Scope: The four nominal and two valid genera included in this family.

Reviews: Dendy (1893), Bidder (1898), Dendy & Row (1913), Burton (1963), Borojevic (1968), Borojevic et al. (1990).

Genera:
Aulorrhiza Haeckel, 1869 (type species: Leucosolenia lamarckii Haeckel, 1869, sen. syn. of Aulorrhiza intestinalis Haeckel, 1869) (syn. Ascoleucetta Dendy & Frederick, 1924; Ascaltis, sensu Borojevic, 1968; Borojevic et al., 1990) - with a massive cormus composed of ramified and anastomosed tubes covered by a common cortex; the inhalant aquiferous system is represented by spaces delimited by the cortex and the walls of choanosomal tubes; the exhalant aquiferous system is reduced to the osculum or to a secondary atrial cavity formed by the calyciform growth of the cormus (Borojevic et al., 1990); rounded mass of anastomosing tubes; skeleton of equiradiate triradiates and quadriradiates with regular facial rays (Burton, 1963).
Leucascus Dendy, 1893 (type species: Leucascus simplex Dendy, 1892) - with copiously branched and anastomosed choanocyte tubes; exhalant aquiferous system is represented by a well-developed atrium delinited by a specific wall within the choanoderm (Borojevic et al., 1990); solitary, irregularly massive to spherical; surface even, smooth, small scattered oscules, firm texure; skeleton of regular triradiates or occasionally quadriradidiates with incipient apical rays (Burton, 1963).