Australian Biological Resources Study

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Family IRCINIIDAE Gray, 1867


Compiler and date details

2010 - John N.A. Hooper, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Felix Wiedenmayer (1994), Naturhistorisches Museum Basel, Basel, Switzerland; updated by John N.A. Hooper (1999)

Diagnosis

Irciniids are massive, or occasionally spreading, encrusting sponges, which display a wide range of forms across the three genera, including low and pad-like, large and cushion-like, caliculate to lamelliform, lobate and digitate. The surface is usually conulose, though in forms which have an organised sand armour, the surface can be micro-conulose, tuberculate or smooth. Genera of the Irciniidae possess pithed and concentrically laminated, primary and secondary fibres. Primary fibres may often incorporate a core of foreign material, and can form complex, often massive fascicles, particularly in species of Ircinia. Secondary fibres are usually uncored, though foreign inclusions may occur in some species. Unique to the Irciniidae are fine collagenous, terminally-enlarged spongin filaments that supplement the fibre skeleton. When present in sufficient quantities, these filaments make the sponges very difficult to tear. All genera have spherical to oval, diplodal choanocyte chambers, and the mesohyl is lightly to moderately infiltrated with collagen.

 

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA

(1)Dermis unarmoured (although surface may be covered with sparse sand) ----------------------------------------- 2
Dermis armoured (with a thick crustose layer of foreign debris) ------------------------------------------- Psammocinia

(2)Primary fibres form massive fascicles, which are often cored with foreign debris --------------------------- Ircinia
Primary fibres fascicular, uncored, or with coring light and intermittent ------------------------------- Sarcotragus

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
29-Mar-2018 15-Dec-2011 MOVED
29-Mar-2018 13-Apr-2011 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)