Family AGELASIDAE Verrill, 1907

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Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Verrill, A.E. 1907. The Bermuda Islands. Part IV. Geology and paleontology, and part V. An account of the coral reefs. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences 12: 45-348 pls 16-40 [Porifera, pp. 330–344 pls 35C–D] [333]

Diagnosis

Growth form is variable, ramose, lamellate, tubular or massive. The colour is frequently orange or reddish brown and texture extremely tough but compressible. The skeleton is reticulate, very fibrous, with a well-developed system of profusely echinated spongin fibres, of which the main or ascending fibres usually contain coring spicules. The fibres are peculiar and unique in having arched transversely arranged collagen bundles. Spicules are styles with unique verticillated spines. In some species coring spicules differ geometrically from those echinating. Acanthoxeas or acanthostrongyles may also occur along with the styles in some species. The homogeneity of skeletal characteristics makes the external growth form of great importance and utility in identification.

ID Keys

See Order Agelasida diagnosis.

Diagnosis References

van Soest, R.W.M. 2002. Family Agelasiidae Verrill, 1907. pp. 819-823 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. [819]

General References

Bergquist, P.R. 1978. Sponges. London : Hutchinson 268 pp. 12 pls 81 figs 15 tables.

Bergquist, P.R., Hofheinz, W. & Oesterhelt, G. 1980. Sterol composition and the classification of the Demospongiae. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 8: 423-435 7 tables

Bergquist, P.R. & Hartman, W.D. 1969. Free amino acid patterns and the classification of the Demospongiae. Marine Biology, Berlin 3: 247-268

Brien, P., Lévi, C., Sarà, M., Tuzet, O. & Vacelet, J. 1973. Spongiaires. pp. 1-716 485 figs in Grassé, P.P. (ed.). Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, Systématique, Biologie. Paris : Masson et Cie Vol. 3(1).

Hartman, W.D. 1980. Systematics of Porifera. pp. 24–51 in Hartman, W.D., Wendt, J.W. & Wiedenmayer, F. Living and fossil sponges (Notes for a short course). Sedimenta 8, Comp. Sed. Lab. Univ. Miami.

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]

van Soest, R.W.M. 2002. Family Agelasiidae Verrill, 1907. pp. 819-823 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. [819]

History of changes