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

Definition: Asconoid, erect growth forms, with long, individual, clustered, oscular tubes arising from stolon-like system of basal tubes; tubes may have diverticular and often arborescent; monaxon spicules always present; triradiates, if present, typically bilateral, sagittal, inequiangular in form (where two of the rays form a pair, while the third differs in some way), and with the crystalline optic axis never vertical but always inclined to the facial plane of the rays; choanocytes with flagellum arising directly from the pear-shaped nucleus, situated at or near the apex of the cell; choanocytes line central cavity (spongocoele) of the individual tubes; larvae are amphiblastula

Scope: About 90 generic names are included in this family, but only three of these are now.

Reviews: Bidder (1898), Minchin (1909), Dendy & Row (1913), Hartman (1958), Burton (1963).

Genera:
Ascute Dendy & Row, 1913 (type species: Leucosolenia uteoides Dendy, 1893) - compound, tubular, sessile, surface even, minutely hispid, striated; oscules apical; firm texture; ectosomal skeleton has large diacts (oxeotes), of one or two sizes, echinating surface and/or lying longitudinally within the ectosome; choanosomal skeleton composed of sagittal quadriradiates (Burton, 1963).
Ascyssa Haeckel, 1872 (type species: Ascyssa acufera Haeckel, 1872) - tubular, colonial; smooth surface; apical oscules; skeleton a tangential layer of irregularly arranged oxeote and microxeote spicules (Burton, 1963).
Leucosolenia Bowerbank, 1861 (type species: Spongia botryoides Ellis & Solander, 1786) (syn. Nardosa Wright, 1868; Olynthium Haeckel, 1870; Olynthus Haeckel, 1870; Prosycum Haeckel, 1870; Leucaria Haeckel, 1870; Leucelia Haeckel, 1870; Leuceria Haeckel, 1870; Leucilia Haeckel, 1870; Leuciria Haeckel, 1870; Leucoria Haeckel, 1870; Tarroma Haeckel, 1870; Tarrus Haeckel, 1870; Nardopsis Haeckel, 1870; Clystolynthus Haeckel, 1870; Sycorrhiza Haeckel, 1870; Auloplegma Haeckel, 1870; Thecometra Haeckel, 1870; Ascettaga Haeckel, 1872; Ascettopa Haeckel, 1872; Ascettusa Haeckel, 1872; Ascometra Haeckel, 1872; Nardorus Haeckel, 1872; Solenula Haeckel, 1872; Tarropsis Haeckel, 1872; Ascilla Haeckel, 1872; Ascillaga Haeckel, 1872; Ascillopa Haeckel, 1872; Ascaltaga Haeckel, 1872; Ascaltopa Haeckel, 1872; Ascuris Haeckel, 1872; Ascortaga Haeckel, 1872; Ascortopa Haeckel, 1872; Ascortusa Haeckel, 1872; Asculmis Haeckel, 1872; Ascandraga Haeckel, 1872; Ascandropa Haeckel, 1872; Olynthella Haeckel, 1872; Nardoma Haeckel, 1872; Solenidium Haeckel, 1872; Olynthaltus Haeckel, 1872; Olynthandrus Haeckel, 1872; Olynthettus Haeckel, 1872; Olynthortus Haeckel, 1872; Olynthillus Haeckel, 1872; Olynthulmus Haeckel, 1872; Olynthandrium Haeckel, 1872; Olynthandra Haeckel, 1872; Olynthelletta Haeckel, 1872; Clistolynthus Haeckel, 1872; Clistolynthaltis Haeckel, 1872; Clistolynthandra Haeckel, 1872; Clistolynthetta Haeckel, 1872; Clistolynthilla Haeckel, 1872; Soleniscetta Haeckel, 1872; Soleniscilla Haeckel, 1872; Soleniscyssa Haeckel, 1872; Solenicaltis Haeckel, 1872; Solenicortis Haeckel, 1872; Soleniculmis Haeckel, 1872; Soleniscandra Haeckel, 1872; Solenidandra Haeckel, 1872; Solenulandra Haeckel, 1872; Solenuletta Haeckel, 1872; Nardoraltis Haeckel, 1872; Nardorandra Haeckel, 1872; Nardoretta Haeckel, 1872; Nardorilla Haeckel, 1872; Nardorortis Haeckel, 1872; Nardomandrum Haeckel, 1872; Nardopsandra Haeckel, 1872; Nardopsetta Haeckel, 1872; Nardopsortis Haeckel, 1872; Tarraltis Haeckel, 1872; Tarrandra Haeckel, 1872; Tarretta Haeckel, 1872; Tarrilla Haeckel, 1872; Tarromandra Haeckel, 1872; Tarropsandra Haeckel, 1872; Tarropsetta Haeckel, 1872; Auloplegmaltis Haeckel, 1872; Auloplegmetta Haeckel, 1872; Auloplegmilla Haeckel, 1872; Auloplegmandra Haeckel, 1872; Auloplegmortis Haeckel, 1872; Ascaltometra Haeckel, 1872; Ascandrometra Haeckel, 1872; Ascettometra Haeckel, 1872; Homandra Lendenfeld, 1891; Nardoris Delage, 1899; Aulorhiza Dendy & Row, 1913) - encrusting network of more or less erect asconoid tubes which may branch, or throw out lateral diverticula, but seldom anastomose except occasionally at base of main tubes; surface minutely hispid; texture soft; skeleton of sagittal triradiates and sagittal quadriradiates, with apical rays projecting into cloacal cavity, and oxeas with lanceolate distal ends (Burton, 1963).