Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera, are a basal Metazoa (animal) clade as a sister of the Diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them, consisting of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. The branch of zoology that studies sponges is known as spongiology.
Demospongiae is the most diverse class in the phylum Porifera. They include 76.2% of all species of sponges with nearly 8,800 species worldwide. They are predominantly leuconoid in structure. Their "skeletons" are made of spicules consisting of fibers of the protein spongin, the mineral silica, or both. Where spicules of silica are present, they have a different shape from those in the otherwise similar glass sponges.
Homoscleromorpha is a class of marine sponges composed of two families: Plakinidae and Oscarellidae.
Axinellidae is a family of sponges in the order Axinellida.
Leuconia is a genus of calcareous sponges in the family Baeriidae. It was described by English anatomist and zoologist Robert Edmond Grant in 1933.
Leucopsila is a genus of poriferans in the family Baeriidae. It contains one species, Leucopsila stylifera, which was originally described as Leuconia stylifera in 1870. The genus was described by Dendy & Row in 1913.
Clionaidae is a family of demosponges which are found worldwide. This family is known for parasitically boring holes in calcareous material such as mollusc shells and corals, using both chemical and mechanical processes.
John N.A. Hooper is an Australian marine biologist and writer on science. He is the current Head of Biodiversity & Geosciences Programs at the Queensland Museum. His research has included studying the possible medical benefits of marine sponges, including beta blockers for heart disease, and for compounds to combat illnesses like gastro-intestinal disease and cancer. In 2007 he was a member of the Discussion Panel On Marine Genetic Resources for the eighth annual United Nations Informal Consultative Process for Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS).
Arturia is a genus of calcareous sponge in the family Clathrinidae which contains 14 species. It is named after Arthur Dendy, a prominent researcher of calcareous sponges. It was renamed Arturia in 2017 because the name Arthuria was already assigned to a genus of molluscs.
Clathrina pulcherrima is a species of calcareous sponges from Australia. It was described by Arthur Dendy in 1891.
Thorectidae is a family of poriferans in the order Dictyoceratida.
Spongillida is an order of demosponges in the subclass Heteroscleromorpha.
Baeriidae is a family of calcareous sponges in the class Calcarea. It was named in 2010 by Borojevic, Boury-Esnault, and Vacelet in 2000. The type genus is BaeriaMiklucho-Maclay, 1870, by original designation, though Baeria is now considered a junior synonym of LeuconiaGrant, 1833.
Eilhardia is a genus of calcareous sponges in the family Baeriidae. It contains one species, Eilhardia schulzei.
Lamontia is a genus of calcareous sponges in the family Baeriidae. It consists of one species, Lamontia zona Kirk, 1895. The genus and species were described by New Zealand biologist Harry Borrer Kirk in 1895. The type locality of Lamontia zona is Cook Strait, New Zealand.
Trichogypsiidae is a family of poriferans in the class Calcarea.
Leucandra villosa is a species of sponge in the taxonomic rank of the calcareous sponges (Calcarea). The sponge lives in the sea and its Sclereid consists of calcium carbonate.
Cliona orientalis is a species of demosponge in the family Clionaidae. It occurs in the Indo-Pacific region and is a bioeroding species, with various specialisations for living on and inside calcareous substrates such as massive corals and molluscs.
