Carter, 1875
Definition: Encrusting, massive, club-shaped and fan-shaped growth forms. Reticulate, anastomosing spongin fibres produce polygonal meshes in the choanosomal skeleton which are not organised into one plane (isotropic fibres skel.). Fibres have normal bark and pith elements, without foreign detritus, and the collagenous spongin matrix is dense. Choanocyte chambers are small, spherical and diplodal.
Remarks: Six nominal and two valid genera of aplysinid sponges are presently recognized.
Source: Bergquist (1980).
Genus represented in the area:
Aplysina Nardo, 1834 (type species: Aplysina aerophoba Schmidt, 1862) (syn. Aplysia sensu Nardo,1833; Fistularia in part, Bowerbank, 1844; Verongia Bowerbank, 1845; Luffaria Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864): Marked aerophobic colour change from yellow or green to darker colours; only one kind of fibre is present, without foreign detritus and with a thick pith component; fibres form a regular reticulation with large hexagonal meshes and have no specialised surface arrangement (Bergquist, 1980) (Aplysina aerophoba fibre) (Aplysina fulva).
Species included:
Aplysina aerophoba