Family DICTYONELLIDAE Van Soest, Diaz & Pomponi, 1990

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Diagnosis

Encrusting, massive, lobate, digitate, bushy or columnar-tubular sponges, usually with a conulose surface. Between conules, the surface is shiny-smooth and distinctly fleshy. Ectosomal skeleton is entirely absent. If attempts are made to make a tangential section, the surface comes off in flakes. Choanosomal tracts and individual spicules directed towards the surface, often collected in vague tracts or more definitely in spongin enforced spiculofibre. Irregularly reticulate or confused skeletal arrangements are not uncommon. Spicular density is relatively low compared to other Halichondrida. Spicules predominantly styles, often of considerable length and then flexuous or curved. Occasionally oxeas or strongyles occur in one. Telescoped endings are common. Ten genera are considered valid of seventeen nominal genera. The family occurs in all three ocean basins, but appears absent from the colder regions.

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA

(1)Surface muddy-sandy with fine grooves making a polygonal surface pattern ---------------------------------- Liosina
Surface not muddy and grooved ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2

(2)Spicules include sinuously bent strongyles or strongyloxeas ------------------------------------------------- Acanthella
Spicules may be flexuous but are not bent twice in opposite directions --------------------------------------------------- 3

(3)Spicules include oxeas or oxeotes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Spicules exclusively styles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

(4)Skeleton lax, low spicular density, spicule length less than 650µm ----------------------------------------- Rhaphoxya
Skeleton dense, with high spicular density and, spicules over 650µm-------------------------------------- Lipastrotethya

(5)Next to long thin smooth styles there are (often rare) short spined styles -------------------------------- Tethyspira
No spined styles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

(6)Encrusting with styles arranged in dendritic fibers originating from a basal spongin plate ----- Scopalina
Growth form massive or erect. Styles differently arranged ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7

(7)Styles arranged in sheets or columns with considerable spongin ------------------------------------------------------- 8
Styles arranged in a reticulation or intercrossing in confusion -------------------------------------------------------------- 9

(8)Surface smooth, glistening, bluntly conulose, consistency fairly soft -------------------------------------- Dictyonella
Surface bristly, consistency hard ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phakettia

(9)Reticulation unispicular, regular ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Svenzea
Reticulation vague, often somewhat confused ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Stylissa

Diagnosis References

van Soest, R.W.M., Erpenbeck, D. & Alvarez De Glasby, B. 2002. Family Dictyonellidae Van Soest, Diaz & Pomponi, 1990. pp. 773-786 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. [773]

General References

Hooper, J.N.A. 1991. Revision of the family Raspailiidae (Porifera: Demospongiae), with descriptions of Australian species. Invertebrate Taxonomy 5(6): 1179-1418

Hooper, J.N.A., Capon, R.J., Keenan, C.P., Parry, D.L. & Smit, N. 1992. Chemotaxonomy of marine sponges: families Microcionidae, Raspailiidae and Axinellidae, and their relationships with other families in the orders Poecilosclerida and Axinellida (Porifera: Demospongiae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 6(2): 261-301

van Soest, R.W.M., Diaz, M.C. & Pomponi, S.A. 1990. Phylogenetic classification of the halichondrids (Porifera, Demospongiae). Beaufortia 40(2): 15-62

van Soest, R.W.M., Erpenbeck, D. & Alvarez De Glasby, B. 2002. Family Dictyonellidae Van Soest, Diaz & Pomponi, 1990. pp. 773-786 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.

Vosmaer, G.C.J. 1912. On the distinction between the genera Axinella, Phakellia, Acanthella a. o. Festschrift Spengel. Zoologische Jahrbücher 15: 307-322 pls 15-16

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