Family Neopeltidae Sollas, 1888

Abstract

Neopeltidae Sollas (Demospongiae, ‘lithistids’) contains four genera and about 20 nominal species, some presently incorrectly allocated, and known from all oceans. Species are polymorphic, ranging from thickly encrusting to massive irregular, massive clavate shapes with shallow axial cavity, to subglobular with a stalk and thick lamellae consisting of several individuals. They are known both from deep and very shallow waters, including coral reefs. Neopeltidae is characterized by monaxial ectosomal spicules (pseudophyllotriaenes or pseudodiscotriaenes), monaxial complex shaped branching desmas and microscleres which are amphiasters and/or spinose microxeas. Genera are differentiated on the basis of the morphology of ectosomal pseudophyllotriaenes and pseudodiscotriaenes, and microscleres geometries