Gray, 1867
Definition: Order Dictyoceratida. The group includes massive sponges of various shapes. The surface is usually strongly conulose, the consistency is compressible but tough. The skeleton lacks spicules and is formed by spongin fibres strongly laminated, usually presenting a central diffuse pith. The fibres form a rather irregular reticulate skeleton, which is accompanied by collagen filaments in the mesohyl (ircinid filament).
Remarks: 3 genera are included: Ircinia , Sarcotragus , Psammocinia .
Source: Bergquist, 1980.
Genera represented in the area:
Ircinia Nardo, 1833 (type species Spongia fasciculata Pallas, 1766) (syn. Dysidicinia Lendenfeld, 1889; Euricinia Lendenfeld, 1889; Filifera Lieberkühn, 1859; Hircinella Lendenfeld, 1889; Hircinia Nardo, 1833; Polytherses Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864; Stematumenia Bowerbank, 1845): sponge surface marked by prominent conules (Ircinia felix), unarmoured; texture extremely tough, difficult to cut or tear; primary fibres are cored and with detritus and frequently attain a great size by being woven into complex fascicles (Ircinia felix 4); secondary fibres simple but not cored with detritus; collagenous mesohyl typically heavy and charged with collagenous filaments bearing a terminal knob (Bergquist, 1980).
Sarcotragus Schmidt, 1862 (type species S . spinulosus Schmidt, 1862) (syn. Stenospongia Burton, 1928): Surface conulose and texture tough; fasciculate primary fibres lack or almost lack foreign inclusions, with characteristic pith clearly visible; secondary fibres are clear of detritus and also contain pith; knobbed collagen filaments permeate the matrix, but these are always very fine (Bergquist, 1980).
Species included:
Ircinia dendroides
Ircinia fasciculata
Sarcotragus muscarum
Sarcotragus spinosulus