Homaxinella

Homaxinella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Demospongiae
Order: Hadromerida
Family: Suberitidae
Genus: Homaxinella
Topsent, 1916 [1]
Species: see text
Synonyms
  • Pachaxinella Burton, 1930

Homaxinella is a genus of sea sponges, demosponges in the family Suberitidae. The type species is Homaxinella balfourensis.[2]

Description

Homaxinella was originally included in the sponge family Axinellidae but the structure of the skeleton shows that it lacks a reticulation and has bundles of calcareous spicules at the surface which lead to its inclusion in Suberitidae.[2] The members of the genus are rooted to the substrate and have stalks, a much branched habit of growth and an axially condensed choanosomal skeleton. They have an extra-axial skeleton of bundles of megascleres which are exclusively styles, and a profusion of further incoherently arranged styles, in a wide range of sizes. There are no microscleres.[2]

Species

The World Porifera Database recognises the following species: [1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 van Soest, Rob (2006). R. W. M. Van Soest, N. Boury-Esnault, J. N. A. Hooper, K. Rützler, N. J. de Voogd, B. Alvarez de Glasby, E. Hajdu, A. B. Pisera, R. Manconi, C. Schoenberg, D. Janussen, K. R. Tabachnick, M. Klautau, B. Picton, M. Kelly & J. Vacelet, ed. "Homaxinella Topsent, 1916". World Porifera database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hooper, John N. A.; R. W. M. van Soest, Philippe Willenz. Systema Porifera: a guide to the classification of sponges, Volume 1. Google Books. p. 231.