Family IRCINIIDAE Gray, 1867

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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

Diagnosis References

Cook, S.D.C. & Bergquist, P.R. 2002. Family Irciniidae Gray, 1867. pp. 1022-1027 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. [1022]

General References

Bergquist, P.R. 1980. A revision of the supraspecific classification of the orders Dictyoceratida, Dendroceratida and Verongida (Class Demospongiae). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 7: 443-503 figs 1-25 pls

Bergquist, P.R. 1995. Dictyoceratida, Dendroceratida and Verongida from the New Caledonia Lagoon (Porifera: Demospongiae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 38(1): 1-51

Boury-Esnault, N., de Vos, L., Donadey, C. & Vacelet, J. 1990. Ultrastructure of choanosome and sponge classification. pp. 237-244 in Rützler, K. (ed.). New Perspectives in Sponge Biology. Washington : Smithsonian Institution Press.

Cook, S.D.C. & Bergquist, P.R. 2002. Family Irciniidae Gray, 1867. pp. 1022-1027 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.

Cook, S. De, & Bergquist, P.R. 1998. Revision of the genus Psammocinia (Porifera: Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida), with six new species from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 32: 399-426

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.

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1981. Opinion 1182. Tethyidae in Mollusca, Porifera and Tunicata: removal of homonymy. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 38(3): 174-177

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