Family TRACHYCLADIDAE Hallmann, 1917

Museums

Regional Maps

• Trachycladidae Hallmann, E.F. 1917. A revision of the genera with microscleres included, or provisionally included, in the family Axinellidae, with descriptions of some Australian species. Part 3. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 41: 634-675 4 figs pls 29/3, 5-6, 33/6, 38/5.

Diagnosis

Encrusting, massive or branching growth forms. Oscules are small (less than 1 mm diameter) and ostia are scattered singly or grouped. Skeleton is condensed in the axial region and plumoreticulate in the extra-axial region, with ascending multispicular tracts joined at infrequent intervals by single spicules. Encrusting species have a hymedesmioid architecture. Skeletal tracts are composed of spongin fibres enclosing oxeas, strongyles and/or (tylo-)styles. Microscleres are smooth microstrongyles (microrhabds) and/or spined vermiform spiraster-like spirules (spinispirae), with either a curled shaft bearing longitudinal rows of spines along its length, or a straight shaft bearing concentric spiral rows of spines around its circumference and length.

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA
(1) Spinispirae with spines forming regular longitudinal rows running the length of the stem, with the spicule itself (not the spines) curled or contorted into twisted shapes; only one size class of spinispirae -------------------- Trachycladus
Main spinispirae with a long and straight shaft, but with spines forming a complete full turn around the circumference of the shaft, producing concentric spiral rows along its length; a second smaller, curly size class of spinispirae may also be present ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhaphidhistia

Diagnosis References

Hooper, J.N.A. & van Soest, R.W.M. 2002. Family Trachycladidae Hallmann, 1917. pp. 268-274 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. [268]

General References

Bergquist, P.R. 1970. The marine fauna of New Zealand: Porifera, Demospongiae, Part 2 (Axinellida and Halichondrida). (Mem. N.Z. Oceanogr. Inst. 51). Bulletin of the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 197: 1-85 20 pls 3 figs

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.

Hooper, J.N.A. & van Soest, R.W.M. 2002. Family Trachycladidae Hallmann, 1917. pp. 268-274 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.

History of changes