Family EUPLECTELLIDAE Gray, 1867

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Introduction

Members of the family Euplectellidae Gray, 1867 have tubular, massive or cup-shaped growth forms ('venus flower baskets'; see Fig. 183), often with many open oscula; their bases are either stalked, firmly attached to the substratum or with tufts of monactinal or anisodiactinal basal spicules (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 193). The dermal skeleton has large hexactinal spicules (dermalia, Fig. 201) with the proximal ray the longest. Hypodermal spicules are absent. Parenchymal spicules are hexactines with two to six rays. Hexasters are diverse, including floricomes, graphio-, oxy- and onychohexasters (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 214, 215, 209, 222).

This family includes the renowned 'venus flower basket', Euplectella, a sought-after prize for most amateur natural history collectors. Euplectellids are widely distributed in bathyal and abyssal waters, ranging from 100 to 5200 m (Hartman 1982). Two subfamilies Euplectellinae and Corbitellinae and numerous genera are recognised. Published records are available so far for only one of these genera in the Australian fauna (Holascus), however, others such as Euplectella and Regadrella have been collected but not yet reported (Hooper, unpublished data).

Euplectellidae Gray, 1867 includes Corbitellinae Ijima, 1903 in synonymy. Reviews of the family are to be found in Schulze (1886, 1887, 1899, 1902, 1904); Lendenfeld (1915); and Hartman (1982). Ijima (1927) defines Euplectellidae with two subfamilies: Euplectellinae and Corbitellinae (the latter cited as 'Ijima, 1902', but should be Gray 1872), and gives a synopsis of species.

Diagnosis

Tubular, cup-like, fungus-like growth forms; lophophytose or basiphytose, sometimes pedunculate. Prostalia basalia when present are anchorate spicules, rarely diactines. The main osculum may be covered by a sieve-plate. Choanosomal spicules of stauractines, tauactines and diactines; hexactines and pentactines, when present among choanosomal spicules, are not numerous but they are often the largest spicules constructing the base for the skeleton wall, their distal rays serve as prostalia lateralia. Dermalia are usually hexactines, in some genera pentactines or both. Atrialia are pentactines or hexactines or both. Microscleres are various with amazing variability of the outer ends.

ID Keys

KEY TO SUBFAMILIES
(1) Lophophytose method of fixation -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Euplectellinae
Basiphytose method of fixation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

(2) Pedunculate; atrialia are usually hexactines --------------------------------------------- Bolosominae subfam. nov.
Tubular, attached directly by its basal part; atrialia when present are usually pentactines -------------- Corbitellinae

Diagnosis References

Tabachnick, K. 2002. Family Euplectellidae Gray, 1867. pp. 1388-1434 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. [1388]

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.

Ijima, I. 1927. The Hexactinellida of the Siboga Expedition. 1-383 26 pls in Weber, M.W.C. (ed.). Siboga-Expeditie, livr. 106, monogr. 6. Leiden : J.E. Brill.

Lendenfeld, R. von 1915. XXIX The sponges. 3. Hexactinellida. In Reports on the scientific results of the Expedition to the Eastern Tropical Pacific, in charge of Alexander Agassis, by the U.S. Fish Commission Steamer Albatross, 1904–1905, and of other expeditions of the Albatross, 1891–1899. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 42: 1-397 pls 1-109

Schulze, F.E. 1886. Ueber den Bau und des System der Hexactinelliden. Abhandlungen der Königlich-Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Berlin 1886: 1-97

Schulze, F.E. 1887. Report on the Hexactinellida collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873–1876. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger 1873–1876, Zoology 21(53): 1-514 pls 1-104 1 map

Schulze, F.E. 1899. Amerikanische Hexactinelliden nach dem Material der Albatross-Expedition bearbeitet. Jena. 126 pp. 19 pls.

Schulze, F.E. 1902. An Account of the Indian Triaxonia collected by the Royal Indian Marine Survey Ship Investigator. (The German original translated into English by R. von Lendenfeld). Calcutta : The Indian Museum 113 pp. 23 pls.

Schulze, F.E. 1904. Hexactinellida. In Chun, C. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer 'Valdivia' 1898–1899. Vol. 4 266 pp. (text) pls 1–52 (atlas).

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