Hentschel, 1923
Definition: Encrusting, massive, club-shaped and branching growth forms. Choanosomal skeleton plumose or plumo-reticulate, composed of bundles of smooth tornotes. Ectosomal skeleton with a thick crust of tangentially placed acanthostyles and/or acanthoxeas. Acanthose spicules may also be embedded perpendicular to skeletal tracts and/or erect on basal spongin (= echinating basal acanthostyles), and dispersed within the choanosome between the tracts of smooth diactines. Microscleres consist of arcuate isochelae, rarely anisochelae or sigmas (Crella elegans).
Remarks: 24 nominal genera are included in this family, of which only a few are recognised as valid.
Source: Hooper's Internet Sponge Guide.
Genera represented in the area:
Crella Gray, 1867; (type species Cribrella elegans Schmidt, 1862) (syn. Aaaba de Laubenfels, 1936; Crellinspira de Laubenfels, 1936; Crelloxea Hechtel, 1983; [Cribrella ] Schmidt, 1862 [preocc.]; Grayella Carter, 1869; Grella de Laubenfels, 1936; Pytheas Topsent, 1890; Ramosichela de Laubenfels, 1950; Pytheilla de Laubenfels, 1936; Tisrone de Laubenfels, 1936; Yvesia Topsent, 1890; Yvesiella de Laubenfels, 1936; Yvesiorbas de Laubenfels, 1936): encrusting to massive; ectosomal skeleton composed of a tangential layer of acanthostyles or acanthoxeas; choanosomal skeleton composed of smooth tornotes or strongyles and echinating acanthostyles, or in encrusting forms of an erect basal layer of acanthostyles; microscleres may include arcuate isochelae, sometimes absent.
Crellomima Rezvoj, 1932 (type species Crella incrustans Hentschel, 1929) (syn. Damonilla de Laubenfels, 1936): ectosomal acanthostyles or acanthostrongyles, oxeote tornotes in subectosomal skeleton, microscleres are unguiferous isochelae.
Species included:
Crella albula
Crella basispinosa
Crella derma
Crella digitifera
Crella donsi
Crella elegans
Crella fusifera
Crella mammillata
Crella pyrula
Crella rosea
Crella schottlaenderi
Species not treated here:
Crella akraleitae (Brøndsted, 1932), Faroes, deep water
Crella carnosa (Topsent, 1904), deep water
Crella jaegerskjoeldi Alander (1937), Sweden, deep water
Crella nodulosa (Sarà , xxx),
Crella polymastia (Thiele, 1903), Norway, cf. Arndt, 1935: 76, fig. 156
Crellomima incrustans (Hentschel, 1929), Arctic, deep water