AULOPLACIDAE SCHRAMMEN, 1912

Reiswig, Henry M. & Dohrmann, Martin, 2014, Three new species of glass sponges (Porifera: Hexactinellida) from the West Indies, and molecular phylogenetics of Euretidae and Auloplacidae (Sceptrulophora), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 171 (2), pp. 233-253 : 244-245

FAMILY AULOPLACIDAE SCHRAMMEN, 1912

Restricted synonymy: Auloplacidae Schrammen, 1912: 191 ; Zittel 1915: 74; Reiswig & Kelly 2011: 136. Dactylocalycidae (in part) Gray, 1867: 505; Reiswig 2002b: 1293; Finks et al. 2004: 542. Tretodictyidae (in part) Schulze, 1886: 78; Ijima 1927: 112; Reid 1963: 229; Mehl 1992: 58; Finks et al. 2004: 501.

Diagnosis: Basiphytous Hexactinosida with rigid erect body on a short tubular stem; upper body consisting of one to several vertical plates or fans composed of either conjoined thin-walled tubes dividing acutely, and remaining tightly connected side by side, or of a network of tubes arising by the closure of marginally developing atrial grooves. Constituent tubes are open distally and by lateral oscula. Framework consists of two major recognizably different components: thin sieve area supported by coarse thick beams circumscribing large irregular polygonal meshes, and a more extensive reticular area, two or more meshes thick, with thin beams forming regular small rectangular or triangular meshes. Short longitudinal strands are present in the reticular area. Megascleres include pentactin or subhexactin surface spicules, scopules, and uncinates. Major microscleres are discohexactins, discohexasters, or oxyhexasters (emended from Reiswig & Kelly, 2011).

Type species: Auloplax auricularis Schulze, 1904 .