Family THOOSIDAE Cockerell, 1925

Museums

Regional Maps

• Alectonidae Rosell, D. 1996. Systematics, biology and ecology of mediterranean excavating sponges. Barcelona, Spain : Ph.D. Thesis, University of Barcelona pp. 1-363. [Date published 1996] [53].

  Secondary source:

   Rosell, D. & Uriz, M.J. 1997. Phylogenetic relationships within the excavating Hadromerida (Porifera), with a systematic revision. Cladistics 13: 349-366 [350] ((in part)); Rützler, K. 2002. Family Alectonidae Rosell, 1996. pp. 281-290 in Hooper, J.N.A. & van Soest, R.W.M. (eds). Systema Porifera: A guide to the classification of sponges. New York : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Vol. 1. [281].
• Thoosidae Cockerell, T.D.A. 1925. The family Clionidae. Science 62(1616): 567 [Date published 1925] [567].
• Thoosidae Rosell, D. & Uriz, M.J. 1997. Phylogenetic relationships within the excavating Hadromerida (Porifera), with a systematic revision. Cladistics 13: 349-366 [350] ((in part)).

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Borchiellini,C., Alivon,E. & Vacelet, J. 2004. The systematic position of Alectona (Porifera, Demospongiae): a tetractinellid sponge. Bollettino dei Musei e degli Instituti Biologici della Università di Genova 68: 209-217 [209] (http://www.marinespecies.org/porifera/porifera.php?p=taxdetails&id=567951 (on 2011-12-28))

Diagnosis

Hadromerid excavating sponges, but including massive gamma forms, with oxeas, styles, or strongyles as megascleres (or megascleres absent) and microrhabs (straight, bent, or spiral) or amphiasters, or both, as microscleres. Megascleres may be smooth or spiny and kinked or branched forms may occur. Microscleres are usually ornamented by microspines that are arranged uniformly, clustered, or spiraled. Excavations are chambered, as in Clionaidae. Papillae, where known, are small and inconspicuous, massive sponges are rare.

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA
(1) Megascleres present --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
Megascleres absent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

(2) Robust tuberculate and smooth diactines (or derived polyactines) for megascleres, amphiasters for microscleres --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alectona
Megascleres are smooth monactines and diactines -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

(3) Megascleres are smooth oxeas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Megascleres are smooth styles or strongyles, microscleres include microspined rhabds and delicate, microspined
diplasters ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dotona

(4) Microscleres are only microspined rhabds ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Spiroxya
Microscleres include amphiasters; sponges grow massive ------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

(5) Microscleres are delicate, microspined amphiasters -------------------------------------------------------- Neamphius
Microscleres are minute diplaster-like amphiasters and granular microstrongyles ----------------------------- Scolopes

(6) Microscleres are stout rhabds with annular swellings or with amphiastrose ornamentation, and delicate diplasters --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delectona

Diagnosis References

Rützler, K. 2002. Family Alectonidae Rosell, 1996. pp. 281-290 in Hooper, J.N.A. & van Soest, R.W.M. (eds). Systema Porifera: A guide to the classification of sponges. New York : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Vol. 1. [281]

General References

Rützler, K. 2002. Family Alectonidae Rosell, 1996. pp. 281-290 in Hooper, J.N.A. & van Soest, R.W.M. (eds). Systema Porifera: A guide to the classification of sponges. New York : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Vol. 1.

History of changes