Genus Mycale Gray, 1867
Taxonomic Decision for Subgeneric Arrangement
- van Soest, R.W.M. & Hajdu, E. 2002. Family Mycalidae Lundbeck, 1905. pp. 669-690 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. [671]
Distribution
States
New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Arctic, amphi-Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, S Africa, Indian Ocean, Indo-Malayan region, Japan, New Zealand, W, central and E Pacific Ocean, Antarctic and Subantarctic.
IMCRA
Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Northwest Province (4), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41), Central Western Transition (5)
Distribution References
Diagnosis
Encrusting, lobate, repent, ramose, branching erect or tubular sponges. Surface irregular or smooth, occasionally grooved. Consistency fibrous, compressible or soft, occasionally firm or hard. Skeleton of discrete bundles of spicules arranged in plumose fashion, with occasional anastomosing, rarely reticulate. Ectosomal skeleton usually a well-developed tangential crust of intercrossing bundles or single megascleres, occasionally absent or consisting of the brushed endings of choanosomal tracts. Spicules usually exclusively mycalostyles, rarely replaced by oxeas; size categories are common. Microscleres palmate anisochelae (exceptionally isochelae), the larger ones frequently in rosettes, sigmas, toxas, raphides; rarely micracanthoxeas which appear to be toxa-derived; size categories common for anisochelae (up to four have been recorded) and sigmas, occasionally also trichodragmas and toxas.
ID Keys
Key to subgenera of Mycale
(1) Megascleres exclusively oxeas (Fig. 10B) ----------------------------------------------------------- Oxymycale
Megascleres include exotyles (Figs 12-14), styles with swollen or proliferated ends) piercing the ectosome, next to normal mycalostyles --------------------------------------------------------------------------Rhaphidotheca
Megascleres exclusively subtylostyles (mycalostyles) ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2
(2) Microscleres include naviculichelae (Figs 8-9: complete or near fusion of both frontal alae, falx markedly expanded along the shaft, lateral alae of the head project backward and upward) --------------- Naviculina
Sigmas are serrated (Fig. 11) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paresperella
Microscleres include anomochelae (Fig. 4: palmate anisochelae with a slightly curved shaft on face view; and frontal ala of the foot considerably expanded, approaching or even surpassing the dimensions of the usually larger frontal ala of the head, contorted, sometimes with a serrated upper bOrder) ------- Anomomycale
Microscleres include small isochelae (Fig. 15B) ------------------------------------------------------- Zygomycale
Microscleres include polydentate unguiferate chelae (Fig. 7); rosettes in two size categories ----- Grapelia
Microscleres consist of normal shaped sigmas and palmate anisochelae; toxas, raphides and micracanthoxeas may be present ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
(3) Ectosomal tangential skeleton present --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Coherent ectosomal skeleton lacking --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
(4) Ectosomal skeleton consisting of intercrossing bundles of megascleres making triangular or polygonal
meshes (Fig. 1D) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aegogropila
Ectosomal skeleton consisting of a felted mass of megascleres without clear meshes or bundles -- Mycale
(5) Choanosomal skeleton consisting of thick spongin enforced spicule tracts arranged in a rectangular reticulation; fibres cored by foreign objects (such as algae or sand); sponges extremely slimy when lifted out of the water --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arenochalina
Choanosomal skeleton consisting of wispy plumose bundles of megascleres showing little or no cohesion; sponges usually soft and encrusting ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carmia
Diagnosis References
van Soest, R.W.M. & Hajdu, E. 2002. Family Mycalidae Lundbeck, 1905. pp. 669-690 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. [670]
History of changes
| 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) |