Genus Psammochela Dendy, 1916

Museums

Regional Maps

• Psammodoryx Burton, M. 1934. Sponges. Scientific Reports of the Great Barrier Reef Expedition 1928-1929 4: 513-621 pls 1-2 [556].

  Type species:

   Dysidea chaliniformis Carter, 1885 by original designation.
• Anomomyxilla Burton, M. 1934. Sponges. Scientific Reports of the Great Barrier Reef Expedition 1928-1929 4: 513-621 pls 1-2 [555].

  Type species:

   Desmacidon psammodes Hentschel, 1911 by monotypy.
• Psammochela Dendy, A. 1916. Report on the non-calcareous sponges collected by Mr. James Hornell at Okhamandal in Kattiawar in 1905–6. 93-146, pls 1-4 in Hornell, J. (ed.). Report to the Government of Baroda on the marine zoology of Okhamandal in Kattiawar. London : Williams & Norgate Vol. 2. [126].

  Type species:

   Psammochela elegans Dendy, 1916 by monotypy.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Northern Shelf Province (25), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Northwest Province (4), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41), Central Western Transition (5)

Diagnosis

Massively encrusting. Ectosomal skeleton with a fine-meshed reticulation of small sand grains; choanosomal skeleton irregularly reticulate, composed of thin fibres with poor spongin, cored with sand and styles, and numerous sand particles and spicules dispersed within the mesohyl; megascleres are styles; microscleres are anchorate and polydentate isochelae and sigmas.

 

ID Keys

Identification key for species of Psammochela
1. Skeleton is composed only of sand grains and polydentate chelae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . P. chaliniformis
Skeleton is composed of sand grains, megascleres, sigmas and chelae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Megascleres are styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . P. rigida
Megascleres are (aniso) strongyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . 3
3. Strongyles, 2 types of sigmas and anchorate chelae . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. tutiae
Strongyles, 2 types of sigmas, anchorate and polydentate chelae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4
4. Strongyles up to 175 μm, sigma type I between 25–30 μm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. psammodes
Strongyles up to155 μm, sigma type I between 30–37.5 μm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. P. fibrosa