Carnivorous sponges (Porifera, Cladorhizidae) from the deep South Pacific (New Caledonia) with the description of three new species of the genus Abyssocladia and remarks on genus Cercicladia
Author
Vacelet, Jean
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-04-24
4767
2
257
276
journal article
22581
10.11646/zootaxa.4767.2.3
cab7562c-80d6-4c50-be4c-1818403c0c4b
1175-5334
3770819
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6A6A15AA-9B6D-4168-8857-29E183D965B9
Family
CLADORHIZIDAE Dendy, 1922
Type
species.
Cladorhiza abyssicola
Sars, 1872: 65
.
Diagnosis
. Carnivorous sponges that have adapted to feeding on small, typically crustacean, prey. Adaptations to carnivory include partial or complete reduction of the aquiferous system, erect habit with radiating processes with either a basal disc or root (rhizoid) processes for anchoring in soft sediment. Axial or abaxial skeleton composed of monactinal or diactinal megascleres, from which extend extra-axial branches. Microscleres include palmate, arcuate and anchorate (an)isochelae and their derivatives, including placochelae and cercichelae; sigmas, forceps or micro(subtylo)styles (microspined, and also spear-shaped in a few cases), and trochirhabds (from
Hestetun
et al.
2016
).