Hemiasterella Carter, 1879

Sitjà, Cèlia & Maldonado, Manuel, 2014, New and rare sponges from the deep shelf of the Alboran Island (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean), Zootaxa 3760 (2), pp. 141-179 : 150

Genus Hemiasterella Carter, 1879

Diagnosis. Hemiasterellidae with vasiform, plate-like, flattened branching or massive growth form; choanosomal and peripheral skeletons are loosely organized, vaguely plumoreticulate, without apparent axial compression or differentiation between axial and extra-axial regions. The spicule complement consists of styles and/or oxeas without functional arrangement to any particular part of skeleton and euasters predominantly located in peripheral region of the sponge but not forming a surface crust. The euasters typically show thick, acanthose, strongylote, curved, asymmetrical or branching actines; sometimes calthrop-like, reduced in number to 2–4 actines (sensu Hooper 2002a).