Poecilosclerida is an order of the demosponge class. It is the most speciose demosponge order with over 2200 species (World Porifera Database[2]). It contains about 25 recognised families. They are characterised by having chelae microscleres, that is, the minute spicules scattered through the tissues, usually in the 10-60 μm range, have a shovel-like structure on the end.[3]
| Poecilosclerida | |
|---|---|
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| Hemimycale columella (Hymedesmiidae) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Porifera |
| Class: | Demospongiae |
| Order: | Poecilosclerida Topsent, 1928 |
| Families | |
See text [1] | |
Most of the families are viviparous with parenchymella larvae that are uniformly ciliated.[3]
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Families
As of 2018, the following families are recognized:[1]
- Family Acarnidae
- Family Chondropsidae
- Family Cladorhizidae[4]
- Family Coelosphaeridae
- Family Crambeidae
- Family Crellidae
- Family Dendoricellidae
- Family Desmacididae
- Family Esperiopsidae
- Family Guitarridae[4]
- Family Hymedesmiidae
- Family Iotrochotidae
- Family Isodictyidae
- Family Latrunculiidae
- Family Microcionidae
- Family Mycalidae
- Family Myxillidae
- Family Phellodermidae
- Family Podospongiidae
- Family Tedaniidae
References
Wikispecies has information related to Poecilosclerida.