Crellidae, Dendy, 1922

Łukowiak, Magdalena, Pisera, Andrzej & Stefanska, Tetiana, 2019, Uncovering the hidden diversity of Paleogene sponge fauna of the East European Platform through reassessment of the record of isolated spicules, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 64 (4), pp. 871-895 : 886

Crellidae indet.

Fig. 4S .

Material.—Upper Eocene, south-central Ukraine.

Remarks. —The long acanthorhabd with slightly spirally twisted rhabd and long spines along the whole spicule ( Fig. 4S ) may belong to some sponges of the family Crellidae . Today, there is a single species known in this family, Crellastrina alecto which is characterized by similar, though smaller (up to 120 μm long), curved acanthoxeas (compare Topsent 1904: pl. 15: 16). Besides, the acanthoxeas present in this species are characterized by rugose spine tips which distinguishes them from the fossil spicules described by Ivanik (2003). Thus, the fossil spicule that is illustrated here may belong to unknown species of Crellastrina .

Figures

Fig. 4. Spicule morphotypes from south-central Ukraine; Russkie Tiŝki, middle Eocene (A, O), Nikol’skoe, upper Eocene (B, C), Kantemirovka, middle Eocene (D), Melovoe, upper Eocene (E), Staroverovka, middle Eocene (F), Kantemirovka, upper Eocene (G, I), Markovka, upper Eocene (H, N), Pogonovka borehole, upper Eocene (J, L, M), Markovka, middle Eocene (K, P, T), Kiselevka, middle Eocene (Q), Lipcy, middle Eocene (R), and Kiselevka, upper Eocene (S). A. Protriaene. B, C. Anatriaenes. D. Centrotylote oxea. E–H. Amphitriaenes. I–K. Acanthotriods. L, M. Verticillate oxeas. N. Verticillate style. O–R, T. Acanthoxeas. S. Sanidaster. After Ivanik (2003); modified.