Family ACHRAMORPHIDAE Borojevic, Boury-Esnault, Manuel & Vacelet, 2002

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Introduction

Staurorrhaphidae Jenkin, 1908 have solitary, tubular or sac-shaped growth forms with a well-developed fringe of spicules around the terminal oscule. There is a continuous cortex covering all the choanosome and this is perforated by ostia. There are no ectosomal tetractines and a tangential atrial skeleton is present only in the region of the oscule. Subatrial quadriradiates ('chiactines') (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 159–160) are present and equiangular, symmetrical and asymmetrical triradiates (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 147, 152, 155) and oxeas (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 164–166) are freely scattered in the choanosomal skeleton and projecting through the cortex. The aquiferous system is syconoid or leuconoid.

Staurorrhaphidae is a small family comprising only two genera, Achramorpha and Megapogon, both with Australian representatives, differentiated mainly by the possession of syconoid versus leuconoid water canal system organisation. Some authors have included these genera in the Grantiidae (Hartman 1982) whereas Borojevic (1968) maintains this family as distinct. Burton (1963) further suggested that the two genera are synonyms but this suggestion is rejected given major differences in their aquiferous systems (Borojevic 1968). The few known species are widely distributed from the North Atlantic, NW Pacific to Antarctica, at depths ranging to 500 m (Burton 1963).

Reviews of the genera are given by Dendy & Row (1913), Burton (1963) and Borojevic (1968).

Diagnosis

Leucosolenida with a continuous cortex covering all the choanosome. Cortical tetractines are absent. The organisation of the aquiferous system is syconoid, sylleibid or leuconoid. A tangential atrial skeleton is present only in the oscular region. In the atrial cavity, only the paired actines of subatrial chiactines support the atrial surface, while the apical actine is bent and points into the atrial cavity, making its surface hispid.

ID Keys

See Order Leucosolenida Diagnosis

Diagnosis References

Borojevic, R., Boury-Esnault, N., Manuel, M. & Vacelet, J. 2002. Order Leucosolenida Hartman, 1958. pp. 1157-1184 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. [1180]

General References

Borojevic, R. 1968. Systématique et évolution des éponges Calcaires. Dieuxième Thèse. Université de Paris. 33 pp.

Burton, M. 1963. A Revision of the Classification of the Calcareous Sponges. London : British Museum pp. 1-693 figs 1-375.

Dendy, A. & Row, R.W.H. 1913. The classification and phylogeny of the calcareous sponges, with a reference list of all the described species, systematically arranged. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1913: 704-813

Hartman, W.D. 1982. Porifera. pp. 640-666 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 1.

Hooper, J.N.A. & Wiedenmayer, F. 1994. Porifera. pp. 1–620 in Wells, A. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Australia Vol. 12 xiii 624 pp. [Date published 21/Nov/1994]

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