Esperiopsis | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Porifera |
Class: | Demospongiae |
Order: | Poecilosclerida |
Family: | Esperiopsidae |
Genus: | Esperiopsis Carter, 1882 [1] |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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Esperiopsis is a genus of demosponges, comprising around 30 species found in oceans around the world.
A genus is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, as well as viruses, in biology. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus.
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.
As of 2014, the following valid species of Esperiopsis are recognized: [1]
Esperiopsis cimensis is a species of demosponges found in the Atlantic waters around Cape Verde, western Africa. The species name is named after the type locality, Ilhéu de Cima.
Cladorhiza is a genus of carnivorous sponges, comprising around 40 species found in oceans around the world. Cladorhiza is the type genus of the family Cladorhizidae.
Grantia is a genus of calcareous sponges belonging to the family Grantiidae. Species of the genus Grantia contain spicules and spongin fibers.
Geodia is a genus of sea sponge belonging to the family Geodiidae. It is the type genus of its taxonomic family.
Plakinidae is a family of marine sponges composed of seven genera:
Axinella is a genus of sponges in the family Axinellidae. Species of Axinella occur in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Most of these sponges are smaller than 20 cm, and have a yellow or orange colour.
Stelletta is a genus of demosponge belonging to the family Ancorinidae.
Isodictya is a genus of marine demosponge in the family Isodictyidae.
Biemna is a genus of marine demosponge in the family Biemnidae.
Haliclona is a genus of demosponges in the family Chalinidae.
Dictyodendrillidae is a family of sponges of the order Dendroceratida.
Auletta is a genus of sponges in the family Axinellidae.
Homaxinella is a genus of sea sponges, demosponges in the family Suberitidae. The type species is Homaxinella balfourensis.
Callyspongia is a genus of demosponges in the family Callyspongiidae.
Xestospongia is a genus of sponges in the family Petrosiidae. It contains the following species:
Niphatidae is a family of demosponges in the order Haplosclerida. It contains the following genera:
Neopetrosia is a genus of marine petrosiid sponges. It was first established by the American spongiologist Max Walker de Laubenfels in 1932. It contains these 27 species:
Gelliodes is a genus of sponges in the family Niphatidae.
Crella is a genus of marine demosponges in the family Crellidae.
Clathria (Clathria) is a subgenus of demosponge in the family Microcionidae.
Amphilectus is a genus of demosponges, comprising around 20 species found in oceans around the world.