Family Niphatidae Van Soest, 1980

Abstract

Niphatidae Van Soest (Demospongiae, Haplosclerida) contains nine valid genera and a number of nominal species with a worldwide dis- tribution. Species live principally in shallow tropical waters, although species of Amphimedon and Pachychalina are known from Chile, Peru and Magellan regions, and Gelliodes, Microxina and Haliclonissa are also represented in Antarctica. Major taxonomic characters for differentiating genera include: the type of ectosomal skeleton, which is formed by brushes of spicules, sometimes complemented by a fibrous network; morphology of choanosomal fibres, longitudinal, parallel-radially plumose or divergent, often fasciculated or largely ramified; presence of interstitial spicules in some species to form a free network and spicule micrometries, usually larger than in Callyspongiidae, in general, between 100–600m length.