Minchinellidae Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Porosphaera globularis fossil from the Cretaceous of Germany | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Porifera |
Class: | Calcarea |
Order: |
Lithonida Vacelet, 1981 |
Family: |
Minchinellidae Dendy & Row, 1913 |
Genera | |
see text. | |
Synonyms | |
|
Minchinellidae is a family of calcareous sponges, members of the class Calcarea. [1] It is the only family in the monotypic order Lithonida. The families Petrobionidae (genus Petrobiona) [2] and Lepidoleuconidae (genus Lepidoleucon) [3] have also sometimes been placed within Lithonida, though more recently they have been moved to the order Baerida. [4] Thanks to their hypercalcified structure, minchinellids have a fossil record reaching as far back as the Jurassic Period. [3] [4]
Minchinellids are hypercalcified sponges. They have a robust skeleton of tetractine (four-rayed) calcareous spicules. The tetractine spicules are propeller-shaped, with three curved actines (rays) radiating perpendicular to a straight basal actine. These spicules may be linked by their basal actines or cemented together by calcite. The skeleton is reinforced with layers of loose diapason ( tuning fork-shaped) spicules. Minchinellid sponges have a leuconoid canal system. [3] [4]
Minchinellidae Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Porosphaera globularis fossil from the Cretaceous of Germany | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Porifera |
Class: | Calcarea |
Order: |
Lithonida Vacelet, 1981 |
Family: |
Minchinellidae Dendy & Row, 1913 |
Genera | |
see text. | |
Synonyms | |
|
Minchinellidae is a family of calcareous sponges, members of the class Calcarea. [1] It is the only family in the monotypic order Lithonida. The families Petrobionidae (genus Petrobiona) [2] and Lepidoleuconidae (genus Lepidoleucon) [3] have also sometimes been placed within Lithonida, though more recently they have been moved to the order Baerida. [4] Thanks to their hypercalcified structure, minchinellids have a fossil record reaching as far back as the Jurassic Period. [3] [4]
Minchinellids are hypercalcified sponges. They have a robust skeleton of tetractine (four-rayed) calcareous spicules. The tetractine spicules are propeller-shaped, with three curved actines (rays) radiating perpendicular to a straight basal actine. These spicules may be linked by their basal actines or cemented together by calcite. The skeleton is reinforced with layers of loose diapason ( tuning fork-shaped) spicules. Minchinellid sponges have a leuconoid canal system. [3] [4]