Amphoriscus Haeckel, 1870

Borojevic, Radovan, Boury-Esnault, Nicole & Vacelet, Jean, 2000, A revision of the supraspecific classification of the subclass Calcaronea (Porifera, class Calcarea), Zoosystema 22 (2), pp. 203-263 : 238

Genus Amphoriscus Haeckel, 1870

TYPE SPECIES. — Ute chrysalis Schmidt, 1864 by subsequent designation (Dendy & Row 1913).

DIAGNOSIS. — Amphoriscidae with a syconoid organization of the aquiferous system. Scattered spicules in the choanosome are always absent.

DESCRIPTION

Amphoriscus is a well-characterized genus, and contains several species of solitary sponges with beautiful vitreous transparent walls. The genus is found in all the oceans.

Dendy & Row (1913) kept the genus Syculmis Haeckel, 1872 for Amphoriscidae with a roottuft of diactines and anchoring tetractines. We had the opportunity to observe similar anchoring structures in the families Sycettidae and Jenkinidae , and we do not feel that this character calls for the creation of a special genus; we propose the inclusion of the sponge described as Syculmis synapta by Haeckel (1872), in the genus Amphoriscus .