Family ASTROSCLERIDAE Lister, 1900

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Diagnosis

Encrusting or massive subspherical growth forms. Basal skeleton composed of a mass of aragonitic sclerodermites, which are either spherulitic and intracellularly secreted, or clinogonal and extracellularly secreted. Living tissue organized as in typical Demospongiae, forming a veneer on the surface of the basal skeleton and extending down into calicular skeletal units, cylindrical, meandroid or irregular in form. No tabulae between the tissue-filled external skeleton and the interior interskeletal spaces, which are generally filled in solidly with secondary calcium carbonate deposits. Siliceous spicules acanthostyles or acanthostrongyles with verticillate spines, more rarely smooth styles, sometimes secondarily lost, secondarily entrapped into the calcareous skeleton.

ID Keys

(1)Calcareous skeleton with spherulitic microstructure -------------------------Astrosclera
Calcareous skeleton with clinogonal microstructure --------------------------------------------- 2

(2)Calcareous skeleton with regular calicular units --------------------------Ceratoporella
Calcareous skeleton irregular or meandriform ---------------------------------------------------- 3

(3)Siliceous spicules smooth styles -----------------------------------------------Hispidopetra
Siliceous spicules verticillate acanthostyles or acanthostrongyles ----------------------------- 4

(4)Encrusting on serpulid tubes ---------------------------------------------Stromatospongia
Pedunculate and auriculiform, non associated with serpulid ------------------Goreauiella

Diagnosis References

Vacelet, J. 2002. Family Astroscleridae Lister, 1900. pp. 824-830 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. [824]

General References

Chombard, C., Boury Esnault, N., Tillier, A. & Vacelet, J. 1997. Polyphyly of 'Sclerosponges' (Porifera, Demospongiae) supported by 28S ribosomal sequences. Biological Bulletin. Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole) 193(3): 359-367

Hartman, W.D. & Goreau, T.F. 1972. Ceratoporella (Porifera: Sclerospongiae) and the chaetetid 'corals'. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences 44: 133–148

Vacelet, J. 1985. 1. Coralline sponges and the evolution of Porifera. pp. 1-13 in Conway-Morris, S., George, J.D., Gibson, R. & Platt, H.M. (eds). The Origin and Relationships of Lower Invertebrates. Systematics Association Special Vol. 28. Oxford : Clarendon Press.

Vacelet, J. 2002. Family Astroscleridae Lister, 1900. pp. 824-830 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.

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.

Woerheide, G. 1998. The reef cave dwelling ultraconservative coralline demosponge Astrosclera willeyana Lister, 1900 from the Indo-Pacific. Facies 38: 1-88

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