Family EURETIDAE Zittel, 1877

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Introduction

Sponges in the family Euretidae Zittel, 1877 have funnel-shaped, tubular and vase-shaped growth forms, the latter with tubular branches opening to the exterior through accessory oscula on the sides of vases and opening internally into a wide common gastral cavity. The lateral wall of the skeleton is a three dimensional dictyonal framework (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 225), similar to that of the Farreidae, although the meshes are always small, triangular, quadrangular or irregular in shape, and certain nodes give off more than six internodal beams, being in part singly running hexactin rays and in part amalgams of two rays belonging to different adjacent hexactins. The body wall usually is not canalized, and generally is unaccompanied by aporhysis. Dermal spicules are pentactine (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 204) or hexactines (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 201), with teeth on the distal ray, or they may be secondarily absent. Gastral spicules are also either pentactines or hexactines, similar in form to dermal spicules. Microscleres include diverse hexasters (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 207–213, 222, 223), scopules (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 186) and uncinates (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 192), whereas clavules (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 185, 188, 189) are absent, and sarules are rarely present (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 184).

This family is widely distributed in the world's oceans, occurring from depths of 90 to 4060 m (Hartman 1982). Fourteen genera are included, only two of which have been recorded so far in the Australian fauna.

The family name is attributed to Schulze, 1886 by Ijima (1927), although he mentions Zittel, 1877 in his references.

Schulze (1887), Ijima (1927) and Hartman (1982) review the family. Ijima (1927) gives a synonymy, definition, discussion, and synopsis of genera and species.

Diagnosis

Body form either of branching and/or anastomosing tubes, or cup-funnel formed of a ring of tubes, or of a single tube, or of a single-wall funnel with or without lateral oscula extended on marginal tubes, or blade form; dictyonal meshes mainly rectangular or triangular or irregular; meshes usually equal-sided but elongate prismatic mesh series with transverse lamellae developed in some species; dictyonal strands, if developed, oriented longitudinally; with or without dictyonal cortices composed of primary or secondary dictyonalia; dermalia and atrialia are commonly pentactins or pinular hexactins with rays of approximately equal length, or both forms lacking; scopules and uncinates are usually present but are lacking in 2 genera; microscleres occur as oxyhexasters and/or discohexasters.

ID Keys

KEY TO SUBFAMILIES
(1) Body composed of dichotomously branching tubes-------------------------------------------------------------- Euretinae
Body tubular, funnel-form or blade-form but without dichotomous branching ------------------------Chonelasmatinae

Diagnosis References

Reiswig, H. & Wheeler, B. 2002. Family Euretidae Zittel, 1877. pp. 1301-1331 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. [1301]

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.

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

Zittel, K.A. 1877. Studien über fossile Spongien. I. Hexactinellida. Abhandlungen der mathematisch-physikalischen Klasse der königlich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 13: 1-63

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