Family AULOCALYCIDAE Ijima, 1927

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Introduction

Aulocalycidae Ijima, 1927 have vasiform, spherical or tubular growth forms, with a main osculum above a number of lateral oscula on the sides. The skeletal framework has irregular meshes, the dictyonal framework lacks canals. Hexactines (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 201) are inserted individually into the dictyonal framework, with their rays frequently elongate and curved, and intersecting one another at various angles, and fusing together where they come into contact at points of their intersection (the rays often connected by synapticulae), or where they are laterally apposed or terminate by abutting on others. Dermal and gastral spicules are always pentactines (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 198, 204). Discohexasters are always present (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 210), with or without oxyhexasters (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 209). Scopules (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 186) are rarely present; uncinates are present or absent (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 192).

This family is widely distributed, occurring from 200 to 3000 m in depth (Hartman 1982). Five genera are included, with only one recorded so far in the Australian fauna.

Hartman (1982) reviews the Aulocalycidae.

Diagnosis

Body form highly variable from dichotomously branching fan to unbranched tongue-like plate to branching tubes with lateral oscula either as simple wall gaps, sparse or profuse, or extended on tubular projections; channelization absent or as shallow epirhyses and aporhyses, or schizorhyses; dermalia and atrialia always as rough or occasionally smooth pentactins; choanosomal hexactins present in some; microscleres always include discohexasters while rhopalasters, spirodiscohexasters, hemidiscohexasters and discohexactins may occur; rare uncinates may occur as proper or foreign spicules; sceptrules are absent.

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA
(1) Body of branching tubes or cup with short lateral tubes ------------------------------------------------------------- 2
Body fan- or tongue-shape without tubular elements -------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

(2) With rhopalasters as distinctive microscleres -------------------------------------------------------------- Aulocalyx
Without rhopalasters ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

(3) Parietal gaps large and closely spaced; wall lace-like --------------------------------------------- Rhabdodictyum
Parietal gaps small, sparse; wall thin and mostly imperforate ------------------------------------------- Ijimadictyum

(4) Longitudinal strands in a single plane, frame unchannelized ------------------------------------------- Leioplegma
Longitudinal strands in three-dimensional array, with schizorhyses -------------------------------------- Euryplegma

Diagnosis References

Reiswig, H. 2002. Family Aulocalycidae Ijima, 1927. pp. 1362-1371 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. [1362]

General References

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.

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