Hexasterophora

Watering sponge ( Euplectella aspergillum )

  • Lyssacinosida Zittel, 1877
  • Hexactinosida scratches, 1903
  • Lychniscosida scratches, 1903
  • Aulocalycoida Tabachnick & Reiswig, 2000

The Hexasterophora (alternatively Hexasterophorida ) are a subclass of glass sponges ( Hexactinellida ) dar. Among the best known representatives of this group belongs to the watering sponge ( Euplectella aspergillum ).

Features

The Hexasterophora are distinguished mainly by the construction of their spicules ( sclerites ). These are constructed as with all glass sponges, made ​​of amorphous hydrated silica ( biogenic opal ). The smaller of these sclerites, the microscleres, consist of all representatives of this taxon from six axes, at the end of each of which a tuft of fine twigs is.

The individual representatives of Hexasterophora are very different in their appearance. Most species are attached to a base on the ground, some have for this purpose instead larger pebble needle tufts or mats. In some forms, the needles in the sponge bodies are individually and not connected to each other, in most species form the large needles megascleres, but a dense skeleton, as is the case with the well-known watering sponge.

Behavior and metabolism

All glass sponges are immobile adherent to the sea floor and show therefore no real pattern of behavior. The sponge feeds on microscopic organisms and organic Grus, he filtered out of the water flowing through it.

Habitat

Glass sponges are found in all oceans worldwide and live mainly in larger depths.

System

The Hexasterophora consist of the following taxa, which are classified at the family level:

In order Hexactinosida:

  • Farreidae Gray, 1872
  • Euretidae Zittel, 1877
  • Dactylocalycidae J. E. Gray, 1867
  • Craticulariidae Rauff, 1893
  • † Staurodermatidae Zittel, 1877
  • Aphrocallistidae J. E. Gray, 1867
  • Tretodictyidae F.E. Schulze, 1886

In order Lychniscosida:

  • † Ventriculitidae Smith, 1847
  • † Coeloscyphiidae de Laubenfels, 1955
  • † Polyblastidiidae scratches, 1912
  • † Camerospongiidae scratches, 1912
  • † Cypelliidae scratches, 1936
  • † Oncotoechidae scratches, 1912
  • † Callodictyidae Zittel, 1877
  • † Coscinoporidae Zittel, 1877
  • † Becksiidae scratches, 1912
  • † Calyptrellidae scratches, 1912
  • Aulocystidae Sollas, 1887
  • Diapleuridae Ijima, 1926

In order Lyssacinosida:

  • † Brachiospongiidae Beecher, 1889
  • † Pyruspongiidae Rigby, 1971
  • † Malumispongiidae Rigby, 1967
  • Euplectellidae J. E. Gray, 1867
  • Caulophacidae F.E. Schulze, 1886
  • Rossellidae Schulze, 1887
  • Leucopsacidae Ijima
  • † Stauractinellidae de Laubenfels, 1955

In order Aulocalycoida:

  • Aulocalycidae Ijima, 1927
  • Uncinateridae H. M. Reiswig in Hooper & van Soest, 2002
Franz Eilhard Schulze Karl Alfred von Zittel
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