Family PHLOEODICTYIDAE Carter, 1882

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Family PHLOEODICTYIDAE Carter, 1882

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)

Introduction

Phloeodictyidae Carter, 1882 have encrusting, massive, lobate, or more frequently, spherical and tubular growth forms buried in the substrate, usually with fistules on the upper surface bearing apical oscula, occasionally excavating coralline substrates. The ectosomal skeleton is a multilayered, irregular, tangential reticulation of diactinal spicules (oxeas (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 5) or strongyles (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 6)), forming a distinct, usually detachable, parchment-like crust. The choanosomal skeleton is an irregular reticulation of diactinal spicules forming multispicular tracts, typically producing a pulpy effect, with or without spongin fibres, together with an irregularly dispersed isotropic reticulation of single spicules scattered between these major tracts. Microscleres may include centrangulate sigmas (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 77, 80) and toxas (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 89).

Phloeodictyidae Carter was established in 1882 but the name has not been widely used subsequently. Topsent (1928: 66) mentioned the taxon although he did not use it further. Oceanapiidae Van Soest, 1980 has been used widely (e.g. Bergquist & Warne 1980; Hartman 1982; de Weerdt 1985; Hooper, Kelly-Borges & Riddle 1993), but unfortunately Carter's name has priority. The use of this junior name cannot now be defended, due to deletion from the ICZN (1985) of the 50 year rule of the earlier version, even though it could be argued that very few authors have used Carter's name.

Members of the family are common sponges in shallow waters, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Oceanapia extends to depths of at least 2460 m (Hartman 1982). Six well established genera are recognised; four are recorded in Australian waters.

Reviews and comments on the family are available in Ridley (1887), Dendy (1905, 1922) and Wilson (1925). Topsent (1928) merged the family in Renierinae. {fromontj1995a}

Database Notes

2004
Now contains 5 genera instead of 3.

Diagnosis

Encrusting, massive, lobate, or more frequently spherical and tubular growth forms buried in the substrate, usually with fistules on upper surface bearing apical oscules, occasionally excavating coralline substrates; ectosomal skeleton multilayered, irregular, tangential reticulation of diactinal spicules (oxeas or strongyles), forming a distinct, usually detachable. parchment-like crust; choanosomal skeleton an irregular reticulation of diactinal spicules forming multispicular tracts, typically producing a pulpy effect, with or without spongin fibres, together with an irregularly dispersed isotropic reticulation of single spicules scattered between these major tracts; microscleres may include centrangulate sigmas and toxas.

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA
(1) Burrowing into limestone substrate, secreting a layer of mucus, only the fistules are externally visible ------ Aka
Non-burrowing---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

(2) Variable growth form, with fistules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3
Massive globose or tubulose, without fistules ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

(3) Hollow body, compact external ectosomal crust, or massive, encrusting from a basal lamina with spreading fistules, oscules only at the end of fistules, or no oscules. Ectosomal skeleton a single tangential layer of spicules or multilayered compact crust. Choanosomal skeleton a network of spicule tracts, abundantly ramified irregular-oval meshes, abundant free oxeas. Microscleres may be present, sigmata and/or toxas ---------------------- Oceanapia
Massive to cuplike, coalescent tubes, globose or lamellate, with a short stalk; fistules may be present, oscules in the internal part of the cup. Ectosomal skeleton a compact network, with a surface-membrane, scattered free spicules, and numerous sphaerulous cells. Choanosomal skeleton a network of long, entangled spicule tracts, longitudinal in the interior of the body and tangential to the surface in the peripheral skeleton, with a connecting unispicular reticulation. Spicules oxeas, microscleres if present, toxas --------------------------------------------------------- Calyx

(4) Massive globose, with a stalk, no fistules, oscules only on the globous body. Ectosomal crust in two separate layers. Choanosomal skeleton a mass of oxeas in confusion and some irregular multispicular tracts --- Tabulocalyx
Massive globose or tubulose. Ectosomal skeleton a single tangential crust, no stalk, no fistules, no oscules. Choanosomal skeleton densely spiculous with large meshes ------------------------------------------------ Pachypellina