Family ESPERIOPSIDAE Hentschel, 1923

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Introduction

Esperiopsidae Hentschel, 1923 is a family of sponges with encrusting to digitate growth forms. Their megascleres are exclusively stylote (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 17, 18), forming a clearly defined compressed axial (or basal) skeleton and clearly delineated extra-axial skeleton. A specialised ectosomal skeleton may be present or absent. Microscleres are isochelae (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 66–68, 85–88), including further geometric modifications, and sigmas (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: figs 79, 80), rarely raphides (Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: fig. 109).

Only four genera are included presently, all of which have some species retaining 'lithistid' or 'sublithistid' skeletons (i.e. with desmas in addition to free spicules). At present published records for only one genus are available for the Australian fauna.

Hentschel (1923) established the Esperiopsidae for sponges with monactinal choanosomal spicules and diactinal ectosomal spicules, together with anisochelae and isochelae. The taxon initially included true esperiopsids (like Esperiopsis), together with some Microcionidae (Artemisina) and Cladorhizidae (Chondrocladia). The family was subsequently used by authors as a 'dust-bin' family (see Van Soest 1984), but was later restricted to genera with only monactinal megascleres, axial and extra-axial skeleton structure, in addition to chelae and sigmoid microscleres (Hooper & Lévi 1989). Several species previously referred to the 'Lithistida' retain desmata megascleres. Bergquist & Fromont (1988) referred Esperiopsis to Mycalidae on the basis that it shows skeletal affinities with the genus Mycale, and indeed Esperiopsidae sensu Hooper & Lévi (1989) fits into Ridley & Dendy's (1887) old concept of Mycalinae. The family is retained here on a tentative basis. It is well differentiated from Desmacididae sensu stricto, and partially differentiated from Mycalidae (by skeletal structure and microsclere complement), but Esperiopsis at least should be removed to Mycalidae in a major reorganisation of the Poecilosclerida (Hajdu et al. 1994).

Recent revisions include those of Bergquist & Fromont (1988) and Hooper & Lévi (1989).

Diagnosis

Encrusting, massive, lobate, flabellate or cup-shaped sponges. Surface finely conulose or microhispid due to projecting spicule brushes. Skeleton a reticulation of tracts of styles ending at the surface in brushes or single spicules, no special ectosomal structures. Exclusively styles as megascleres although in one species there are desmas of unknown derivation in addition to the styles. Microscleres palmate isochelae and sigmas, often absent or rare, but may be abundant in one genus.

ID Keys

KEY TO GENERA
(1) Chelae and/or sigmas present -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
No microscleres ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

(2) Skeleton of irregularly anastomosing spicule tracts, denser in the interior; styles usually over 400um; sigmas usually present, chelae usually in several size categories -------------------------------------------------- Esperiopsis
Skeleton regularly isodictyal, anisotropic; megascleres usually not exceeding 400um; only a single category of
isochelae or derivates; sigmas usually absent ------------------------------------------------------------- Amphilectus

(3) Choanosomal skeleton consists of spongin encased polyspicular bundles making a rectangular reticulation;
styles in a single size category ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ulosa
Choanosomal skeleton loosely reticulate, with many spicules in confusion; styles in two size categories ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Semisuberites

Diagnosis References

van Soest, R.W.M. & Hajdu, E. 2002. Family Esperiopsidae Hentschel, 1923. pp. 656-664 in Hooper, J.N.A. & van Soest, R.W.M. (eds). Systema Porifera: A guide to the classification of sponges. New York : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Vol. 1. [656]

General References

Bergquist, P.R. & Fromont, J. 1988. The marine fauna of New Zealand: Porifera, Demospongiae, Part 4 (Poecilosclerida). New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Memoir 96: 1-197 pls 1-57

Hajdu, E., van Soest, R.W.M. & Hooper, J.N.A. 1994. Proposal of a phylogenetic subordinal classification of poecilosclerid sponges (Demospongiae, Porifera). pp. 123-139 in van Soest, R.W.M., van Kempen, T.M.G. & Braekman, J.-C. (eds). Sponges in Time and Space. Rotterdam : Balkema.

Hentschel, E. 1923. Erste Unterabteilung der Metazoa: Parazoa, Porifera = Schwämme. pp. 307-418 in Kükenthal, W. & Krumbach, T. (eds). Handbuch der Zoologie. Protozoa, Porifera, Coelenterata, Mesozoa. Berlin & Leipzig : Walter de Gruyter Vol. 1.

Hooper, J.N.A. & Lévi, C. 1989. Esperiopsis desmophora n.sp. (Porifera: Demospongiae): a desma-bearing Poecilosclerida. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 27(2): 437-441

Ridley, S.O. & Dendy, A. 1887. Report on the Monaxonida collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873–76. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger 1873–1876, Zoology Zool. 20(59): 1-275 pls 1-51

van Soest, R.W.M. 1984. Marine sponges from Curaçao and other Caribbean localities. Part III. Poecilosclerida. Studies on the Fauna of Curaçao and other Caribbean Islands 66(199): 1-167 pls 1-10

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