Family PLEROMIDAE Sollas, 1888

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Introduction

Pleromidae is defined as ‘Lithistid’ Demospongiae with megaclone choanosomal desmas and dichotriaenes among ectosomal megascleres. There are three Recent nominal genera attributed to Pleromidae, but only two of these, Pleroma Sollas, 1888 and Anaderma Lévi & Lévi, 1983 are considered to be valid by Pisera & Lévi (2002).

Hartman (1982) also included Costifer Wilson, 1925 in Pleromidae, which has heloclones, not megaclones, as choanosomal desmas. For this reason Costifer was excluded from Pleromidae by Pisera & Lévi (2002) and referred to Isoraphiniidae Schrammen, 1924, following earlier authors. Pleromidae has numerous undoubted preserved fossil representatives known from the late Jurassic, while the first megaclones appear in the Middle Triassic (Wiedenmayer 1994).

Diagnosis

Polymorphic; extant forms massive irregular or conical, thick lamellar to auriculate. Desmas are megaclones (usually smooth); ectosomal spicules are dichotriaenes, sometimes additionally also anatriaenes protruding from subectosomal region; microscleres are spirasters or amphiasters, microxeas and/or styles; large oxeas in choanosome and protruding from the surface.

ID Keys

KEY TO RECENT GENERA
(1) Megascleres include ectosomal anatriaenes .................................................................... Anaderma
Without ectosomal anatriaenes .............................................................................................. Pleroma

Diagnosis References

Pisera, A. & Lévi, C. 2002. Family Pleromidae Sollas, 1888. pp. 321-326 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. [321]

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.

Pisera, A. & Lévi, C. 2002. Family Pleromidae Sollas, 1888. pp. 321-326 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. [321]

Wiedenmayer, F. 1994. Contribution to the knowledge of post-Palaeozoic neritic and archibenthal sponges (Porifera). The stratigraphic record, ecology, and global distribution of intermediate and higher taxa. Schweizerische Paläontologische Abhandlungen 116: 1-147

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