Family Farreidae Gray, 1872

Abstract

Farreidae Gray (Hexactinellida: Hexactinosida) contains a total of 21 species in five genera, including Aspidoscopulia gen.nov., formed from Claviscopulia furcillata Lévi. Individuals of the family have been recovered from depths of 82 to over 5200m and, with one excep- tion, between latitudes of 55N&S. Body form is predominately tubular, often with extensive branching and anastomosing of components, but lamellar and infundibular shapes also occur. Channelization of the dictyonal framework is typically absent, but extradictyonal epirhy- ses and/or aporhyses may be developed in mature stages of some species. The family is characterized by presence of sceptrules in the form of either clavules or sarules, with or without lonchioles or aspidoscopules (scopules with disk-form heads). Narrow-headed scopules typ- ical of the Euretidae, Tretodictyidae and Aphrocallistidae have not been convincingly reported as intrinsic spicules of presently recog- nized members of the Farreidae. Genera are differentiated by combinations of sceptrule types. In the present treatment, body form, channelization pattern and other details of the dictyonal framework are accorded less importance than spiculation. These characters may become important in future revisions of the family