Australian Biological Resources Study

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Family THOOSIDAE Cockerell, 1925


Compiler and date details

2010 - J.N.A. Hooper, Queensland Museum, Brisbane

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

 

Diagnosis

Hadromerid excavating sponges, but including massive gamma forms, with oxeas, styles, or strongyles as megascleres (or megascleres absent) and microrhabs (straight, bent, or spiral) or amphiasters, or both, as microscleres. Megascleres may be smooth or spiny and kinked or branched forms may occur. Microscleres are usually ornamented by microspines that are arranged uniformly, clustered, or spiraled. Excavations are chambered, as in Clionaidae. Papillae, where known, are small and inconspicuous, massive sponges are rare.

 

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA
(1) Megascleres present --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
Megascleres absent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6

(2) Robust tuberculate and smooth diactines (or derived polyactines) for megascleres, amphiasters for microscleres --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alectona
Megascleres are smooth monactines and diactines -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

(3) Megascleres are smooth oxeas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Megascleres are smooth styles or strongyles, microscleres include microspined rhabds and delicate, microspined
diplasters ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dotona

(4) Microscleres are only microspined rhabds ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Spiroxya
Microscleres include amphiasters; sponges grow massive ------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

(5) Microscleres are delicate, microspined amphiasters -------------------------------------------------------- Neamphius
Microscleres are minute diplaster-like amphiasters and granular microstrongyles ----------------------------- Scolopes

(6) Microscleres are stout rhabds with annular swellings or with amphiastrose ornamentation, and delicate diplasters --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delectona

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
29-Mar-2018 28-Dec-2011 MOVED
29-Mar-2018 15-Dec-2011 MOVED
29-Mar-2018 13-Apr-2011 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)