Burton, 1929
Definition: Encrusting, massive, flabellate or digitate growth forms, sometimes burrowing and fistulose. Ectosomal skeleton forming tangential tracts of tylotes or strongyles with microspined bases. Choanosomal megascleres styles forming reticulate (in massive) or plumose skeletons (in encrusting growth forms); echinating spicules present or absent. Microscleres include palmate chelae and toxas (both sometimes lost), occasionally also with other microscleres such as bipocillums, modified spurred anisochelae, microrhabds and raphides.
Remarks: 32 nominal genera are included in this family, although only 17 of these are presently considered to be valid. Review: Desqueyroux-Faúndez and Van Soest (1996).
Source: Hooper's Internet Sponge Guide.
Genera represented in the area:
Acarnus Gray, 1867 (type species: Acarnus innominatus Gray, 1867) (syn. Fonteia Gray, 1867; Trefortia Deszo, 1880; Acanthacarnus Lévi, 1952): Non-fistulose, encrusting to massive growth forms; ectosomal tylotes with microspined ends, forming tangential or paratangential tracts (not brushes); choanosomal skeleton renieroid reticulate, occasionally plumo-reticulate or plumose, cored by smooth styles, echinated by 1 or 2 categories of cladotylotes, echinating acanthostyles present or absent; microscleres are palmate isochelae and toxas of several morphologies. References: Van Soest et al., 1991. (Acarnus wolfgangi, Acarnus tortilis)
Iophon Gray, 1867 (type species: Halichondria scandens Bowerbank, 1866) (syn. Alebion sensu Gray,1867; Menyllus Gray, 1867; Ingallia Gray, 1867; Pocillon Topsent, 1893; Iophonopsis Dendy, 1924; Burtonella de Laubenfels, 1928; Iophonata de Laubenfels, 1936): Non-fistulose, massive, branching or encrusting; ectosomal skeleton composed of tylotes with microspined bases, lying tangential to surface and intercrossing and in erect brushes; choanosomal skeleton consists of an isodictyal rounded or square-meshed reticulation of smooth or spined choanosomal styles, arranged singly or in 2-3 per row, with or without echinating acanthostyles; microscleres are inequiended bipocillums and palmate spurred anisochelae; toxas absent. Reference: Desqueyroux-Faúndez and Van Soest (1996) (Iophon hyndmani V spics).
Species included:
Acarnus tortilis
Iophon hyndmani
Iophon nigricans
Iophon piceus
Species not treated here:
Cornulum textile Lundbeck (1910), Iceland
Iophon pommeraniae Thiele (1903), Norway, cf. Arndt, 1935: 63, fig. 119