Kingdom Animalia Family Suberitidae Phylum Porifera Order Hadromerida | Class Demospongiae Species see text Rank Genus | |
Similar Hadromerida, Axinellidae, Phakellia, Axinella dissimilis, Polymastia | ||
Homaxinella is a genus of sea sponges, demosponges in the family Suberitidae. The type species is Homaxinella balfourensis.
Contents
Description
Homaxinella was originally included in the sponge family Axinellidae but the structure of the skeleton shows that it lacks a reticulation and has bundles of calcareous spicules at the surface which led to its inclusion in Suberitidae. The members of the genus are rooted to the substrate and have stalks, a much branched habit of growth and an axially condensed choanosomal skeleton. They have an extra-axial skeleton of bundles of megascleres which are exclusively styles, and a profusion of further incoherently arranged styles, in a wide range of sizes. There are no microscleres.
Species
The World Porifera Database recognises the following species: