Subfamily Corbitellinae Gray, 1872

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Diagnosis

Basiphytose Euplectellidae attached directly by their lower part (without well-recognisable peduncle).

ID Keys

KEY TO THE GENERA OF CORBITELLINAE
(1) Body (or at least its lateral wall) is plexiform (composed of dichothomousely branching-anastomosing tubes); dermalia and atrialia are pinular hexactines-------------------------------------------------------------------- Hertwigia
Body is tubular, saccular or spherical (lateral outgrowths are possible) ----------------------------------------------- 2

(2) With numerous small rounded lateral oscula regularly situated (typical ‘venus flower basket’ form) ---------- 3
The lateral oscula have different diameter, irregularly situated or absent -------------------------------------------- 7

(3) Microscleres with discoidal outer ends present ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Microscleres with discoidal outer ends absent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6

(4) Microscleres with oxyoidal outer ends present ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Microscleres with oxyoidal outer ends absent; rare drepanocomes may be found --------------- Pseudoplectella

(5) Graphiocomes present ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corbitella
Graphiocomes absent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dictyaulus

(6) Microscleres with onychoidal outer ends absent; only smooth and spiny microhexactines among spicules with oxyoidal outer ends (no true hexasters) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Heterotella
Microscleres with onychoidal outer ends and hexasters (or staurasters) present ----------------------- Regadrella

(7) Graphiocomes present ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8
Graphiocomes absent ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

(8) Microscleres with discoidal outer ends present -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
Only staurasters sometimes together with floricomes present besides graphiocomes among microscleres ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantisella

(9) Spiny microhexactines present, anchorate discohexasters absent, microscleres with onychoidal outer ends may be present -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Walteria
Anchorate discohexasters present ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dictyocalyx

(10) Floricomes absent; calycocomes present; the body is spherical with lateral outgrowths, each unit is provided by
a sieve-plate ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Symplectella
Floricomes present -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

(11) Microscleres with onychoidal outer ends present ----------------------------------------------------------- Ijimaiella
Microscleres with onychoidal outer ends absent --------------------------------------------------------- Rhabdopectella

Diagnosis References

Tabachnick, K. 2002. Family Euplectellidae Gray, 1867. pp. 1388-1434 in Hooper, J.N.A. & Soest, R.W.M. Van (eds). Systema Porifera. A guide to the classification of sponges. New York : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Vol. 2. [1413]

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