Marine Biodiversity » Marine Sponges » Calcarea » Calcarea Classification » Subclass Calcaronea

Definition: Massive, tubular, ovoid and spherical growth forms, grouped together, never solitary (one genus (Syculmis) has a root-like tuft of oxeas and anchoring quadriradiates); ectosomal cortex is distinct and supported by tangentially placed radiates, with or without oxeas; ectosomal radiates may have the large arm directed inwards, forming the main part of the choanosomal skeleton; no articulated choanosomal skeleton present, but leuconoid forms may have quadriradiates scattered in the choanosome and large quadri- or triradiates below the atrium (subgastral spicules); nuclei of choanocytes probably always apical; choanocyte chambers asconoid, elongate and radially arranged, or small, spherical and irregularly scattered in the choanosome (leuconoid).

Scope: Nineteen generic names, of which only seven are valid, are currently included in this family

Reviews: Dendy (1893a, 1893c), Dendy & Row (1913), Hartman (1958).

Genera:
Amphoriscus Haeckel, 1869 (type species: Ute chrysalis Schmidt, 1864) (syn. Sycilla Haeckel, 1872; Leuculmis Haeckel, 1872; Dyssycillus Haeckel, 1872; Sycurilla Haeckel, 1872; Dyssyculmus Haeckel, 1872; Syculmarium Haeckel, 1872; Lipostomella Haeckel, 1872; Leoculmis Ganin, 1879; Rhabdodermella Urban, 1902; Lenculmis Allemand, 1907) - solitary, tubular, stipitate; smooth surface; terminal oscule; ectosomal skeleton of tangentially arranged facial rays of large sagittal quadriradiates; tubar skeleton of apical rays of ectosomal sagittal quadriradiates and subgastral sagittal quadriradiates; choanosomal skeleton of facial rays of subgastral sagittal quadriradiates and choanosomal sagittal quadriradiates; skeleton of the chamber layer typically composed of the centripetally and centrifugally directed apical rays of subgastral and subchoanosomal quadriradiates, but choanosomal sagittal triradiates and confused chamber layer quadriradiates may be present while choanosomal quadriradiates may be absent (Burton, 1963).
Baeria Miklucho-Maclay, 1870 (type species: Baeria ochotensis Miklucho-Maclay, 1870) - ovate, globular, villose surface, apical oscule; ectosomal skeleton a tangential layer of regular triradiates, with oxeas and microxeas set at right angles to the surface; skeleton of chamber layer of scattered quadriradiates; choanosomal skeleton a tangential layer of quadriradiates (Burton, 1963).
Kuarrhaphis Dendy & Row, 1913 (type species: Leucyssa cretacea Haeckel, 1872) - encrusting to massive, low growing, surface even, non-hispid, oscules not seen; skeleton of needle-eye spicules (Burton, 1963).
Leucettaga Haeckel, 1872 (type species: Leucetta pandora var. loculifera ) - leuconoid aquiferous system, sponge spherical, non-hispid, apical oscule; skeleton composed of a confused mass of triradiates, which are mostly irregular and which form a cortical skeleton as well as the skeleton of the chamber layer; gastral cavity traversed by numerous endogastric septa which possess a special skeleton of their own in the form of minute radiates (Dendy & Row, 1913; Burton, 1963).
Leucilla Haeckel, 1872 (type species: Leucilla amphora Haeckel, 1872) (syn. Polejna Lendenfeld, 1885) - tubular, sessile; surface even, non-hispid; oscule apical; ectosomal skeleton of facial rays of ectosomal quadriradiates; skeleton of chamber layer of apical rays of quadriradiates similar to those in ectosomal layer but more irregular, and basal rays of subgastral sagittal quadriradiates, with small irregular quadriradiates scattered between them; choanosomal skeleton of paired and apical rays of subgastral sagittal quadriradiates and the facial rays of a tangential layer of choanosomal sagittal quadriradiates (Burton, 1963).
Syculmis Haeckel, 1872 (type species: Syculmis synapta Haeckel, 1872) - tubular, sessile, with root tuft; surface even, non-hispid; apical oscule with marginal fringe; ectosomal skeleton of facial rays of subregular to sagittal quadriradiates; skeleton of chamber layer of apical rays of ectosomal quadriradiates and basal rays of subgastral sagittal quadriradiates; choanosomal skeleton of paired and apical rays of subgastral sagittal quadriradiates and a tangential layer of choanosomal subregular quadriradiates; skeleton of root tuft of oxeas and anchoring radiates (Burton, 1963) [incertae sedis].