Family Latrunculiidae Topsent, 1922

Abstract

Latrunculiidae Topsent (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida incertae sedis) is revised substantially from prior concepts, recognizing two family taxa (Latrunculiidae and Podospongiidae) differentiated primarily by the morphology of microrhabd microscleres that reflect major ontogenetic differences in their formation. Latrunculiidae has discate acanthose microrhabd microscleres (acanthodiscorhabds or 'chess-man' spicules), that form a dense perpendicular palisade in the outer ectosome, areolate porefields, and short fistular oscules on the sponge surface. Four genera are recognised as valid (Latrunculia, Sceptrella, Strongylodes1rW and Tsitsikam1rW gen. nov.), with suspected affinities to Poecilosclerida but no obvious close relatives within any of the suborders, and hence is allocated to Latrunculina subord. nov. incertae sedis in Poecilosclerida pending a more thorough phylogenetic analysis.