Hexasterophora
| Hexasterophora | ||||||||||||
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Watering can sponge ( Euplectella aspergillum ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Hexasterophora | ||||||||||||
| Schulze , 1886 | ||||||||||||
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The Hexasterophora (alternatively Hexasterophorida) represent a subclass of the glass sponges (Hexactinellida). The watering can sponge ( Euplectella aspergillum ) is one of the best known representatives of this group .
features
The Hexasterophora are mainly characterized by the structure of their skeletal needles ( sclerites ). As with all glass sponges, these are made of amorphous water-containing silicon dioxide (biogenic opal). The smaller of these sclerites, the microsclerites , consist of six axes in all representatives of this taxon , at each end of which there is a tuft of fine branches.
The individual representatives of the Hexasterophora differ very much in their appearance. Most species have a base attached to the ground, but some have larger pebble needle tufts or mats instead. In some forms, the needles in the sponge body are individual and not connected to one another, in most species the large needles, the megasclera , form a close-meshed skeleton, as is the case with the well-known watering can sponge.
Behavior and metabolism
All glass sponges are immovably grown together with the lake floor and therefore show no real behavioral patterns. The sponge feeds on microscopic organisms and organic grit , which it filters from the water flowing through it.
habitat
Glass sponges are found in all oceans around the world and live mainly in greater depths.
Systematics
The Hexasterophora consist of the following taxa , which are classified at the family level:
In the order Hexactinosida:
- Dactylocalycidae Gray, 1867
- Aphrocallistidae Gray, 1867
- Auloplacidae scrapes, 1912
- Craticulariidae Rauff, 1893
- Cribrospongiidae Roemer, 1864
- Euretidae Zittel, 1877
- Farreidae Gray, 1872
- Fieldingiidae Tabachnick & Janussen, 2004
- † Staurodermatidae Zittel, 1877
- Tretodictyidae Schulze, 1886
In the order Lychniscosida:
- † Ventriculitidae Smith, 1847
- † Coeloscyphiidae de Laubenfels, 1955
- † Polyblastidiidae Schrammen, 1912
- † Coeloptychiidae Roemer, 1864
- † Camerospongiidae Schrammen, 1912
- † Cypelliidae Schrammen, 1936
- † Oncotoechidae Schrammen, 1912
- † Callodictyidae Zittel, 1877
- † Coscinoporidae Zittel, 1877
- † Becksiidae Schrammen, 1912
- † Calyptrellidae Schrammen, 1912
- Aulocystidae Sollas, 1887
- Diapleuridae Ijima, 1927
In the order Lyssacinosida:
- † Brachiospongiidae Beecher, 1889
- † Pyruspongiidae Rigby, 1971
- † Malumispongiidae Rigby, 1967
- Euplectellidae Gray, 1867
- Leucopsacidae Ijima, 1903
- Rossellidae Schulze, 1885
- † Stauractinellidae de Laubenfels, 1955
In the order Aulocalycoida:
- Aulocalycidae Ijima, 1927
- Uncinateridae Reiswig, 2002
literature
- John N. Hooper, Rob W. van Soest: Systema Porifera: A Guide to the Classification of Sponges . Kluver Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-306-47260-2 .
- Van Soest, RWM; Boury-Esnault, N .; Hooper, JNA; Rützler, K .; de Voogd, NJ; Alvarez de Glasby, B .; Hajdu, E .; Pisera, AB; Manconi, R .; Schoenberg, C .; Janussen, D .; Tabachnick, KR, Klautau, M .; Picton, B .; Kelly, M .; Vacelet, J .; Dohrmann, M .; Díaz, M.-C .; Cárdenas, P. (2015) World Porifera database. Accessed through: http://www.marinespecies.org/porifera/porifera.php?p=taxdetails&id=605841 on August 28, 2015
