Family TETILLIDAE Sollas, 1886

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Introduction

Tetillidae Sollas, 1886, are Spirophorida with sigmaspire microscleres and a radiate skeleton of triaenes and oxeas.

Species range in depth from intertidal habitats to at least 2000 m. They characteristically occur on soft bottom deposits, which they are able to inhabit through the development of a basal mat of tangled spicules, typically formed of anatriaenes (Hartman 1982).

Seventeen nominal genera have been included in this family at one time or another, although only eight are currently recognised as being valid, following mainly Rützler (1987), of which six are recorded for the Australian fauna.

The family Tetillidae is reviewed in Sollas (1888), Lendenfeld, (1903), Wilson (1925), Brien et al. (1973), Bergquist (1978), Hartman, (1982), Rützler (1987) and Van Soest & Rützler (2002).

Diagnosis

Typically with spherical growth form, often with characteristic pits called porocalices containing the inhalant and occasionally also exhalant orifices. Cortical region often strengthened by collage fibers and special cortical megascleres, but this region may be thin or absent in several genera. Skeleton with tetraxonic and monaxonic megascleres (triaenes, huge oxeas) organized in a radiate pattern of spicule bundles, often spiralling outwards from the centre of the body; oxeas, protriaenes and anatriaenes are most common and these often protrude from the surface producing a conulose or hairy surface. In sponges provided with porocalices they form a palisade of long spicules, protruding far beyond the sponge surface, surrounding the porefields or oscular apertures, which lie in rounded depressions. Microscleres are unique contorted microspined sigmaspires. Reproduction is oviparous without a larval stage, or viviparous with production of young adults within a parent.

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA
(1) Specialized pore-bearing pits (‘porocalices’) present ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
No porocalices ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

(2) Spicules include medium-sized heavily spined oxeas (‘megacanthoxeas’) ------------------------ Acanthotetilla
No megacanthoxeas ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3

(3) Among the megascleres there are short-shafted triaenes with equal-sized rays (calthrops). N.B. these may have bifid cladi but are not to be confused with long-shafted amphiclads ---------------------------------------- Paratetilla
No calthrops, all triaenes – if present – are long-shafted ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4

(4) In cross section, there is a clear cortical region with special cortical megascleres (short oxeas) and collagenous
reinforcement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cinachyra
In cross section there is no discernible peripheral layer different from that of the interior ---------------------------- 5

(5) Porocalices all similar, undifferentiated morphologically ------------------------------------------------- Cinachyrella
Porocalices differentiated into a morphologically distinct inhalant and exhalant type ------------------ Fangophilina

(6) Stalked sponges with differently structured stalk and main body; among the megascleres of the stalk there are triaenes with cladi on both ends (amphitriaenes, -diaenes, -monaenes, collectively called amphiclads-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amphitethya
No amphiclads, if stalked, then it is a thin root-like projection, not a proper stiff stalk --------------------------------- 7

(7) In cross section, there is a clear cortical region with collageneous reinforcement ------------------------ Craniella
In cross section there is no discernible peripheral layer different from that of the interior ---------------------- Tetilla

Diagnosis References

van Soest, R.W.M. & Ruetzler, K. 2002. Family Tetillidae Sollas, 1886. pp. 85-98 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. [85]

General References

Bergquist, P.R. 1978. Sponges. London : Hutchinson 268 pp. 12 pls 81 figs 15 tables.

Brien, P., Lévi, C., Sarà, M., Tuzet, O. & Vacelet, J. 1973. Spongiaires. pp. 1-716 485 figs in Grassé, P.P. (ed.). Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, Systématique, Biologie. Paris : Masson et Cie Vol. 3(1).

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.

Lendenfeld, R. von 1903. Tetraxonia. In Schulze, F.E. (ed.) Das Tierreich. Berlin : Friedländer Lf 19 168 pp. 44 figs.

Rützler, K. 1987. Tetillidae (Spirophorida, Porifera): a taxonomic re-evaluation. pp. 187-203 in Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (eds). Taxonomy of Porifera from the N.E. Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. NATO ASI Series. Berlin : Springer-Verlag Vol. G13.

Sollas, W.J. 1888. Report on the Tetractinellida collected by H.M.S. Challenger, during the years 1873–1876. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger 1873–1876, Zoology 25(63): clxvi 1-458 44 pls 1 map

van Soest, R.W.M. & Ruetzler, K. 2002. Family Tetillidae Sollas, 1886. pp. 85-98 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.

Wilson, H.V. 1925. Silicious and horny sponges collected by the U.S. Fisheries steamer Albatross during the Philippine Expedition, 1907–10. In Contributions to the biology of the Philippine Archipelago and adjacent regions. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 100(2/4): i-vii 273-532 pls 37-52

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