Family SPONGILLIDAE Gray, 1867

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Introduction

Spongillidae Gray, 1867 is a family of freshwater sponges producing asexual resting bodies (gemmules) with a well-developed vesicular coat of spongin, providing protection as well as enabling flotation. Growth forms are generally encrusting, massive or cushion-shaped. Megascleres consist of diactinal forms only (oxeas or strongyles; Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 5, 6), smooth or spined, dispersed in regularly renieroid, irregularly isodictyal or confused tracts, bound together by greater or lesser quantities of spongin fibres, or collagen only. Specialised microscleres are present (called gemmoscleres), associated with the gemmules and/or occurring within the mesohyl, consisting of smooth or spined microxeas (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 137, 138), amphidiscs (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 139, 145) or birotules (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 140). Sexually produced larvae are parenchymellae with choanocyte chambers fully developed before extrusion from the parent.

Typical spongillids produce gemmules with well defined foraminal structures (openings into the gemmule). Among the 14 genera in the family, one genus, Nudospongilla, has atypical gemmules lacking a foramen. Ten genera have published Australian records. Spongillids have worldwide distributions, living in streams, rivers and lakes, and a few species are tolerant of brackish water. For this family, all generic synonyms are based on extralimital species.

Penney & Racek (1968) recently reviewed the world Spongillidae. Racek (1969) described the Australian fauna, and Stanisic (1979) added further species from the Northern Territory.

Database Notes

2004

Now contains 21 genera (instead of 10).

Diagnosis

Spongillina with shape ranging from globular to massive, incrusting, lobate, arborescent. Colour in life from whitish to brown or green, from pale to very dark. Surface smooth, hispid, conulose. Consistency ranging from fragile to notably hard. Ectosomal skeleton from spicular brushes at apices of primary fibres to dense tangential spicular network. Choanosomal skeleton reticulate with regular or irregular meshes. Spongin variable but generally scanty. Megascleres are oxeas and strongyles, from smooth to spiny or granulated. Microscleres when present oxeas, strongyles, aster-like, pseudobirotules. Gemmules always present except in very rare perennial specimens. Gemmular cage of megascleres is present in several species.

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA
(1) Birotules and pseudobirotules present ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Birotules and pseudobirotules absent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2

(2) Complete absence of microscleres and gemmuloscleres ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3
Presence of microscleres and/or gemmuloscleres (not pseudobirotules and/or birotules) ------------------------------ 4

(3) Nude gemmule lacking pneumatic layer and gemmuloscleres; microscleres never observed; megascleres are
acanthoxeas ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nudospongilla
Gemmular theca tri-layered, without gemmuloscleres, covered by a cage of megascleres; microscleres absent; megascleres are spiny oxeas of two size classes ---------------------------------------------------------------- Duosclera
(4) Microscleres absent; megascleres are spiny oxeas; gemmuloscleres showing 2-9 spiny axes with rounded or tricuspidate tips embedded radially in the gemmular theca ................................................... Sanidastra
Microscleres absent; megascleres are spiny oxeas; gemmuloscleres are spiny strongyles radially oriented ............... .....................................................................................................Radiospongilla
Microscleres absent; megascleres are spiny and smooth oxeas; gemmuloscleres are spiny oxeas of two morphologies: strongyles stout, short and spined, tangentially embedded in the outer layer of gemmular theca; spiny oxeas abruptly pointed, radially arranged in between the inner and outer layer ............. Stratospongilla
Microscleres absent; megascleres are smooth oxeas; gemmuloscleres are oxeas and strongyles, smooth or with spiny tips, tangentially arranged on the gemmular surface ...................................................... Eunapius
Microscleres are spiny oxeas; megascleres are smooth oxeas; gemmuloscleres, when present, are spiny oxeas or strongyles often very curved ........................................................................................ Spongilla
Microscleres are spiny oxeas; megascleres are spiny oxeas; gemmuloscleres show a typical botryoides shape of the two apices ........................................................................................................ Pectispongilla
(5) Birotules with rotules showing smooth edges, pseudobirotules absent ................................................ 6
Birotules with rotules showing spiny and indented edges generally associated with pseudobirotules ................. 7
(6) Microscleres absent; megascleres are oxeas very spiny; gemmuloscleres are smooth birotules radially arranged ...................................................................................................................Trochospongilla
Microscleres absent; megascleres are microspined short strongyles; gemmuloscleres are smooth birotules radially
arranged ............................................................................................................ Uruguayella
Microscleres absent; megascleres are smooth oxeas; gemmuloscleres are smooth birotules radially arranged in the gemmular theca, and spiny oxeas tangentially arranged in the typical thoroidal pneumatic layer (endemic to the River Juruà, Brazil) ......................................................................................... Saturnospongilla
(7) Birotules and/or pseudobirotules are present, exclusively as microscleres ........................................... 8
Birotules and/or pseudobirotules are present, exclusively as gemmuloscleres ........................................... 9
Birotules are gemmuloscleres, pseudobirotules are microscleres .......................................................... 15
(8) Gemmuloscleres are spiny and/or strongyles tangentially arranged on the gemmular theca; megascleres are smoooth microgranulated; microscleres are pseudobirotules with a smooth shaft .................... Corvospongilla
(9) Gemmuloscleres birotules and/or pseudobirotules of a single morphology ........................................... 11
Gemmuloscleres birotules and/or pseudobirotules belonging to two morphological forms (birotules pseudobirotules, or birotules acanthoxeas) ....................................................................................................... 10
(10) Gemmuloscleres are birotules (long shaft) and pseudobirotules (long shaft) radially arranged; microscleres are acanthoxeas; megascleres are acanthoxeas ............................................................ Heteromeyenia
Gemmuloscleres are birotules (short shaft) and pseudobirotules (long and spiny shaft) radially arranged; microscleres are absent; megascleres are spiny oxeas ........................................................ Racekiela
Gemmuloscleres are birotules (variable rotules) and acanthoxeas tangentially arranged; microscleres are absent; megascleres are spiny and smooth oxeas (endemic to New Caledonia) .................................... Pachyrotula
(11) Gemmuloscleres are birotules ............................................................................................. 12
Gemmuloscleres are pseudobirotules (long and spiny shaft); microscleres are absent; megascleres are spiny
oxeas ....................................................................................................... Anheteromeyenia
(12) Birotules with a short (usually less than the rotule diameter) shaft ................................................. 13
Birotules with a long spiny shaft (2-3 times the rotule diameter) ......................................................... 14
(13) Gemmuloscleres are birotules with a short shaft and rotules of identical diameter; microscleres are absent; megascleres are microspined and/or smooth oxea.............................................................. Ephydatia
Gemmuloscleres are birotules with a short shaft and rotules of different diameter; microscleres are absent; megascleres are microspined and/or smooth oxeas ........................................................ Heterorotula
(14) Gemmuloscleres are birotules with a long spiny shaft; microscleres are absent; megascleres are microspined and rarely smooth oxeas ........................................................................................ Umborotula
Gemmuloscleres are birotules with a long spiny shaft; microscleres range from acanthoxeas to typical 'euasters' with spiny tips; megascleres are smooth oxeas .......................................................................... Dosilia
(15) Gemmuloscleres are birotules with a long spiny shaft; microscleres are pseudobirotules showing a long smooth or spiny shaft; megascleres are smooth oxeas ................................................... Corvoheteromeyenia

Diagnosis References

Manconi, R. & Pronzato, R. 2002. Suborder Spongillina subord. nov.: Freshwater sponges. pp. 921-1020 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. [925]

General References

Penney, J.T. & Racek, A.A. 1968. A comprehensive revision of a world-wide collection of freshwater sponges (Porifera: Spongillidae). Bulletin of the United States National Museum 272: 1-184

Racek, A.A. 1969. The freshwater sponges of Australia (Porifera: Spongillidae). Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 20: 267-310

Stanisic, J. 1979. Freshwater sponges from the Northern Territory (Porifera: Spongillidae). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 103(2): 123-130

History of changes