Family Ancorinidae Schmidt, 1870

Abstract

Ancorinidae Schmidt (Demospongiae, Astrophorida) is revised to contain 15 valid genera (of 37 nominal genera): Stelletta, Cryptosyringa, Tethyopsis, Rhabdastrella, Jaspis, Ancorina, Disyringa, Stryphnus, Ecionemia, Psammastra, Penares, Asteropus, Melophlus, Tribrachium, and Holoxea. Some of them (e.g., Stelletta,Ecionemia) have a large representation of species widespread around the world while some others are monotypic (e.g., Cryptosyringa,Disyringa). The main microsclere, which characterizes this family is the euaster, but it can be absent from several species (e.g., Penares candidata,Holoxea furtiva). The diagnostic characters traditionally used for separating genera within Ancorinidae are the type of microscieres (euasters versus microrhabds or sanidasters), the presence or absence (assumed by reduction) of triaenes and the presence/absence of particular inhalant and/or exhalant structures (tubes). Any possible combinations of these three types of characters outline the diagnosis of the different genera. Several of these genera are polyphyletic in a cladistic analysis based on the structural and morphological characters at hand but are maintained here with a practical purpose until new characters (e.g., genetic sequences) will allow a more reliable phylogenetic analysis. Ancorinid sponges live on soft, detritic, and hard (rocky) bottoms from shallow waters to bathyal depths.