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Demospongiae

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Description

Demosponges (Class Demospongiae) are the most diverse class in the phylum Porifera. They include 76.2% of all species of sponges with nearly 8,800 species worldwide (World Porifera Database). They are sponges with a soft body that covers a hard, often massive skeleton made of calcium carbonate, either aragonite or calcite. They are predominantly leuconoid in structure. Their "skeletons" are made of spicules consisting of fibers of the protein spongin, the mineral silica, or both. Where spicules of silica are present, they have a different shape from those in the otherwise similar glass sponges.

From Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demospongiae, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Source Data

Source	ID	Link
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ID (GBIF)	199	https://www.gbif.org/species/199
PaleoBioDB ID (PBDB)	70146	https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=70146

Rank

class

Taxonomy (GBIF,PBDB)

Life : Animalia : Porifera : Demospongiae

Taxonomic Status (GBIF)

accepted

Classification
(PBDB,GBIF)

Rank	Name	Author
-	Eukaryota
-	Opisthokonta	Cavalier-Smith 1987
kingdom	Animalia
phylum	Porifera	Grant 1836
class	Demospongiae	(Sollas 1875)

Common Name

demosponge

Scientific Name

Demospongiae

Opinions (PBDB)

Name	Rank	Opinion	Evidence	Author
Demospongea	class	belongs to Porifera	second hand	Sepkoski, 2002
Demospongea	class	belongs to Porifera	stated with evidence	Finks et al., 2004
Demospongea	class	belongs to Silicea	stated without evidence	Nielsen, 2012
Demospongea	unranked clade	belongs to Porifera	stated without evidence	Worheide et al., 2012

Status (PBDB)

extant

Taxon Size (PBDB)

2,540

Extant Size (PBDB)

158 (6.2%)

First Recorded Appearance

541 - 516 Ma
Cambrian

Motility

stationary, attached (based on Demospongea)

Diet

suspension feeder (based on Demospongea)

Ecospace Comments

COMMENTS: Mostly erect and surficial (rarely semi-infaunal and shallow infaunal), non-motile attached, mostly suspension feeding (some photosymbiosis, predatorial) according to Bambach et al. (2007).

Taphonomy

silica (based on Demospongea)

Primary Reference (PBDB)

R. M. Finks, R. E. H. Reid, and J. K. Rigby. 2004. Porifera (Demospongea, Hexactinellida, Heteractinida, Calcarea). Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part E, Revised E(3):1-872

Common Name(s)

Demosponges, Gewone Sponzen, Horn- Och Kiselsvampar, Horny Sponges, Звича́йні гу́бки, 尋常海綿, Demosponge

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demospongiae

External Images

Fossil Distribution

Subtaxa

Name	Status	Common Name(s)	Fossil Occurrences	Oldest	Youngest
Ceractinomorpha subclass	listed (PBDB)		4,285	541 Ma Cambrian	0 Ma Extant
Choristida subclass	listed (PBDB)		82	242 Ma Middle Triassic	0 Ma Extant
Heteroscleromorpha subclass	listed (PBDB)		4	47.8 Ma Eocene	0 Ma Extant
Lithistida subclass	listed (PBDB)		2,329	520 Ma Cambrian	0 Ma Extant
Tetractinomorpha subclass	listed (PBDB)		903	467 Ma Middle Ordovician	0 Ma Extant
Agelasida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		3,987	541 Ma Cambrian	0 Ma Extant
Axinellida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		440	269 Ma Permian	0 Ma Extant
Biemnida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Bubarida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Chaetetida ✝ order	listed (PBDB)		404	485 Ma Cambrian	38.0 Ma Eocene
Chondrillida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Chondrosiida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Clavulina order	listed (PBDB)		302	331 Ma Carboniferous	0 Ma Extant
Clionaida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Dendroceratida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Desmacellida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Dictyoceratida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		4	466 Ma Middle Ordovician	0 Ma Extant
Epipolasida order	listed (PBDB)		72	411 Ma Early/Lower Devonian	0 Ma Extant
Guadalupiida order	listed (PBDB)
Haplosclerida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		5	466 Ma Middle Ordovician	0 Ma Extant
Merliida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Operculospongia ✝ order	listed (PBDB)
Permosphincta ✝ order	listed (PBDB)		2	279 Ma Permian	254 Ma Permian
Poecilosclerida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		5	161 Ma Jurassic	0 Ma Extant
Polymastiida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Protomonaxonida order	listed (PBDB)		402	541 Ma Cambrian	0 Ma Extant
Scopalinida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Sphaerocladina order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Spongillida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		4	47.8 Ma Eocene	0 Ma Extant
Suberitida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Tabulospongida order	listed (PBDB)		72	433 Ma Silurian	0 Ma Extant
Tethyida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Tetractinellida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		30	388 Ma Middle Devonian	0 Ma Extant
Trachycladida order	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Verongiida order	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Verticillitida order	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Axinellidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Choanitidae family	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Desmacellidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Dictyonellidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Halichondriidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Hemiasterellidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Leiodorellidae family	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Polymastidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Raspailiidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Spirastrellidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Stelligeridae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Suberitidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Tabasiidae family	listed (PBDB)		17	228 Ma Late/Upper Triassic	212 Ma Late/Upper Triassic
Timeidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Trachycladidae family	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Verticillititiidae family	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Aplysinofibra ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)
Arabescula genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Collectella genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Coniculospongia ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		2	419 Ma Early/Lower Devonian	419 Ma Early/Lower Devonian
Consinocodium ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		2	156 Ma Jurassic	151 Ma Late Jurassic
Ginkgospongia ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		2	419 Ma Early/Lower Devonian	419 Ma Early/Lower Devonian
Ichnospongia ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)
Incrustospongia genus	listed (PBDB)		1	303 Ma Carboniferous	303 Ma Carboniferous
Infexiostella ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)
Janussenia ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		1	433 Ma Silurian	433 Ma Silurian
Karatubulus ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		3	520 Ma Cambrian	520 Ma Cambrian
Lovcenipora ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		14	237 Ma Middle Triassic	164 Ma Middle Jurassic
Metschnikowia genus	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Myceliospongia genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Offella ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)
Paraaplysinofibria ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		1	145 Ma Late Jurassic	145 Ma Late Jurassic
Plakidium genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Protohyalostelia ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)
Reniera genus	listed (PBDB)		2	388 Ma Middle Devonian	0 Ma Extant
Riasanospongia ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		1	145 Ma Late Jurassic	145 Ma Late Jurassic
Sphaeriella ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)		8	383 Ma Late/Upper Devonian	345 Ma Carboniferous
Spongiopsammia genus	listed (PBDB)		1	38.0 Ma Eocene	38.0 Ma Eocene
Trichospongia ✝ genus	listed (PBDB)
Echinoctyum pennatum species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Keratosa unranked clade	listed (PBDB)		4	466 Ma Middle Ordovician	0 Ma Extant
Myxospongiae unranked clade	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Petrosina unranked clade	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Scopalinidae unranked clade	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Spongillina unranked clade	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant

Synonymy List

Year	Name and Author
1875	Demospongia Sollas
1994	Demospongia Briggs et al.
2002	Demospongia Sepkoski, Jr.
2004	Demospongea Finks et al. p. 9
2012	Demospongiea Nielsen p. 20
2012	Demospongiae Worheide et al. p. 18 figs. Fig. 1.1

Year	Name and Author
1875	Demospongia Sollas
1994	Demospongia Briggs et al.
2002	Demospongia Sepkoski, Jr.
2004	Demospongea Finks et al. p. 9
2012	Demospongiea Nielsen p. 20
2012	Demospongiae Worheide et al. p. 18 figs. Fig. 1.1

References

Finks R. M., Reid R. E. H., et al (2004) Porifera (Demospongea, Hexactinellida, Heteractinida, Calcarea), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology Part E, Revised E 3, 1-872

Briggs D. E. G., Erwin D. H., et al (1994) , The fossils of the Burgess Shale, 1-238

Sepkoski, Jr. J. J. (2002) A compendium of fossil marine animal genera, Bulletins of American Paleontology 363, 1-560

Nielsen C. (2012) Animal Evolution : Interrelationships of the Living Phyla, 1-402

Worheide G., Dohrmann M., et al (2012) Deep phylogeny and evolution of sponges (Phylum Porifera), Advances in Marine Biology 61, 1-78

Chombard, C.; Boury-Esnault, N.; Tillier, A.; Vacelet, J. (1997). Polyphyly of ‘Sclerosponges' (Porifera, Demospongiae) Supported by 28S Ribosomal Sequences. Biological Bulletin. 193: 359-367. - via World Register of Marine Species

Margulis, L.; Schwartz, K.V. (1998). Five Kingdoms: an illustrated guide to the Phyla of life on earth. 3rd edition. Freeman: New York, NY (USA). ISBN 0-7167-3027-8. xx, 520 pp. - via World Register of Marine Species

Sollas, W.J. (1885). A Classification of the Sponges. Annals and Magazine of Natural History. (5) 16(95): 395. - via World Register of Marine Species

Morrow, C.; Cárdenas, P. (2015). Proposal for a revised classification of the Demospongiae (Porifera). Frontiers in Zoology. 12: 7. - via World Register of Marine Species

Gärdenfors, Ulf, Hall, Ragnar, Hallingbäck, Tomas, Hansson, Hans G. & Hedström, Lars (2003) Djur, svampar och växter i Sverige 2003. Förteckning över antal arter per familj. ArtDatabanken Rapporterar 5, ArtDatabanken, Uppsala. (reviderad excelfil med svenska djurfamiljer). - via Dyntaxa. Svensk taxonomisk databas

Hooper, J.N.A.; Van Soest, R.W.M. (2002). Class Demospongiae Sollas, 1885. pp. 15-18 in: Hooper, J.N.A.; van Soest, R.W.M. (Eds.) Systema Porifera: a guide to the classification of sponges. Volume 1 (Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers: New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow). - via World Register of Marine Species

Hooper, J.N.A.; Van Soest, R.W.M. (Eds.). (2002). Systema Porifera: a guide to the classification of Sponges. Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers: New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow. 2 Volumes. 1706 pp. ISBN 0-306-47260-0. - via World Register of Marine Species

Sollas, W.J. (1886). A Classification of the Sponges. Scientific Proceedings of the Royal Dublin Society (new series). 5: 112. - via World Register of Marine Species

Boury-Esnault, N. (2006). Systematics and evolution of Demospongiae. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 84: 205-224. - via World Register of Marine Species

Lévi, C. (1979). Remarques sur la taxonomie des Demonspongea. Colloques internationaux du CNRS. 291, 497-502. - via World Register of Marine Species

WoRMS (2018) Accessed through World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/ - via Dyntaxa. Svensk taxonomisk databas

Sollas, W.J. (1885). A Classification of the Sponges. Annals and Magazine of Natural History. (5) 16(95): 395. - via World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)

Morrow, C.; Cárdenas, P. (2015). Proposal for a revised classification of the Demospongiae (Porifera). Frontiers in Zoology. 12: 7. - via World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)

Sollas, W.J. (1886). A Classification of the Sponges. Scientific Proceedings of the Royal Dublin Society (new series). 5: 112. - via World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)

Boury-Esnault, N. (2006). Systematics and evolution of Demospongiae. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 84: 205-224. - via World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)

Lévi, C. (1979). Remarques sur la taxonomie des Demonspongea. Colloques internationaux du CNRS. 291, 497-502. - via World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)

Hooper, John N. A., and Rob W. M. van Soest, eds., 2002: null. Systema Porifera: A Guide to the Classification of Sponges. xlviii + 1708. - via Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Ols Eggers et al. (2007) - via Taxa Watermanagement the Netherlands (TWN)

Data courtesy of: PBDB: The Paleobiology Database, Creative Commons CC-BY licenced. , GBIF: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, various licences, iDigBio, various licences, and EOL: The Encyclopedia of Life (Open Data Public Domain). Because fossils are made of minerals too!

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