Venus' flower basket is a species of marine glass sponge found in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, usually at depths below 500 m (1,600 ft). Like other sponges, they feed by filtering sea water to capture plankton and marine snow. Similar to other glass sponges, they build their skeletons out of silica, which forms a unique lattice structure of spicules. The sponges are usually between 10 cm (3.9 in) and 30 cm (12 in) tall, and their bodies act as refuge for their mutualist shrimp partners. This body structure is of great interest in materials science as the optical and mechanical properties are in some ways superior to man-made materials. Little is known regarding their reproduction habits, however fluid dynamics of their body structure likely influence reproduction and it is hypothesized that they may be hermaphroditic.
Geodia is a genus of sea sponge belonging to the family Geodiidae. It is the type genus of its taxonomic family.
Chondrocladia is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. Neocladia was long considered a junior synonym, but recently become accepted as a distinct genus.
Halichondria is a genus of sea sponges belonging to the family Halichondriidae. These are massive, amorphous sponges with clearly separated inner and outer skeletons consisting of bundles of spicules arranged in a seemingly random pattern.
Tetillidae is a family of marine sponges. Tetillids are more or less spherical sponges which are found commonly in all marine habitats at all depths throughout the world. They are especially common in sedimented habitats. Over a hundred species have been described in ten genera.
Plakinidae is a family of marine sponges. It is composed of seven genera:
The cloud sponge(Aphrocallistes vastus) is a species of sea sponge in the class Hexactinellida. It is a deep-water reef-forming animal. The species was first described by F.E. Schulze in 1886.
Stelletta is a genus of sea sponges belonging to the family Ancorinidae.
Suberites is a genus of sea sponges in the family Suberitidae. Sponges, known scientifically as Porifera, are the oldest metazoans and are used to elucidate the basics of multicellular evolution. These living fossils are ideal for studying the principal features of metazoans, such as extracellular matrix interactions, signal-receptor systems, nervous or sensory systems, and primitive immune systems. Thus, sponges are useful tools with which to study early animal evolution. They appeared approximately 580 million years ago, in the Ediacaran.
Chondrocladia concrescens is a species of deep-sea carnivorous sponge in the family Cladorhizidae. It is commonly known as the "ping pong tree sponge" due to its distinctive tree-like shape with multiple branches. The species is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean and can grow up to one meter in height.
Euplectellidae is a family of glass sponges (Hexactinellids) belonging to the order Lyssacinosa, first represented in the Ordovician fossil record, substantially older than molecular estimates of the clade's age.
Rossellidae is a family of glass sponges belonging to the order Lyssacinosa. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution and is found at a large range of depths.
Acanthascus is a genus of sponges in the family Rossellidae. Species include:
Sceptrulophora is an order of hexactinellid sponges. They are characterized by sceptrules, a type of microsclere with a single straight rod terminating at a bundle of spines or knobs. An anchor- or nail-shaped sceptrule is called a clavule. A fork-shaped sceptrule, ending at a few large tines, is called a scopule. A broom-shaped sceptrule, ending at many small bristles, is called a sarule.
Tretodictyidae is a family of glass sponges in the order Sceptrulophora.
Claviscopulia is a genus of glass sponge in the family Farreidae.
Chonelasma is a genus of sea sponge in the family Euretidae.
Diapleuridae is a family of glass sponges in the order Lychniscosida. The only living species, Scleroplegma lanterna, is endemic to the waters around Cuba and St. Croix in the Caribbean Sea.
Penares is a widely distributed genus of demosponges.
Rosella is a genus of glass sponges in the family Rossellidae. It is found in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions.
