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 sponges with a soft body that covers a hard, often massive skeleton made of calcium carbonate, either aragonite or calcite. 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.
The Clathrinida are an order of calcareous sponges found in marine environments. These sponges have an asconoid structure and lack a true dermal membrane or cortex. The spongocoel is lined with choanocytes.
The siliceous sponges form a major group of the phylum Porifera, consisting of classes Demospongiae and Hexactinellida. They are characterized by spicules made out of silicon dioxide, unlike calcareous sponges.
Homoscleromorpha is a class of marine sponges composed of two families: Plakinidae and Oscarellidae.
Clathrina conifera is a species of calcareous sponge from Brazil. The species name refers to the cone-shaped appearance of the triactines.
Clathrina cylindractina is a species of calcareous sponge from Brazil. The species is named after the cylindrical-shaped actines the sponge possesses.
Clathrina izuensis is a sponge species in the genus Clathrina. The species is named after the Izu peninsula where the holotype was collected.
Ute is a genus of calcareous sponges belonging to the family Grantiidae.
Ascute asconoides is a species of calcareous sponge found in Australia.
Ascute uteoides is a species of calcareous sponge found in Australia.
Clathrina broenstedi is a species of calcareous sponge from the Weddell Sea. The species is named after Holger Brøndsted, a Danish sponge researcher. The only spicules present in this species are triactines.
Clathrina fjordica is a species of calcareous sponge from Chile. The species is named after Comau Fjord, the type locality.
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 pellucida is a species of calcareous sponge from Norway.
Clathrina pulcherrima is a species of calcareous sponge from Australia. It was described by Arthur Dendy in 1891.
Clathrina ramosa is a species of calcareous sponge from Chile.
Nicola is a genus of calcareous sponge, comprising a single species, Nicola tetela.
