Myxillidae Dendy, 1922

Łukowiak, Magdalena, 2015, Late Eocene siliceous sponge fauna of southern Australia: reconstruction based on loose spicules record, Zootaxa 3917 (1), pp. 1-65 : 36

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3917.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D8CB263D-645B-46CE-B797-461B6A86A98A
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6108597
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2125D91F-1B03-2958-7ED9-C181F5F9FCF6
treatment provided by	Plazi (2016-04-18 11:19:33, last updated 2022-02-16 15:48:38)
scientific name	Myxillidae Dendy, 1922
status

Treatment

Family Myxillidae Dendy, 1922

Rare acanthostyles with echinated surfaces along the spicule ( Figs. 19 View FIGURE 19 Q–S) or only with a echinated pointed end ( Fig. 19 View FIGURE 19 T) occur in the studied samples. Such mucronate spicules characterize sponges of the family Myxillidae [e.g., Hymenancora orientalis Koltun, 1959 ; Myxilla (Styloptilon) ancorata ( Cabioch, 1968) ]. One can find, however, similar spicules in the family Crellidae [e.g., Crellomima incrustans Hentschel (1929) ], Raspailiidae , Microcionidae , and Hymedesmiidae but still, those discussed here resemble most the myxillid spicules. The lack of other spicules, like chelae or sigma microscleres that would allow for more precise placement within the family Myxillidae , permits their determination only to a family level. Moreover, myxyllids are noted today from all over Australia (Atlas of Living Australia).

The spicules of similar morphology are also known from the fossil record. For example, they were described by Schrammen (1924, pl. 4, figs. 54, 55) from the Cretaceous of Germany and Mostler (1990, pl. 1, figs. 5–7) from the Jurassic of Austrian Alps.

References

Cabioch, L. (1968) Contribution a la connaissance de la faune des Spongiaires de la Manche occidentale. Demosponges de la region de Roscoff. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 9, 211 - 246.

Dendy, A. (1922) Report on the Sigmatotetraxonida collected by H. M. S. ' Sealark' in the Indian Ocean. In: Reports of the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905, 7. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, 18 (1), pp. 1 - 164. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1096 - 3642.1922. tb 00547. x

Hentschel, E. (1929) Die Kiesel- und Hornschwamme des Nordlichen Eismeers. In: Romer, F., Schaudinn, F., Brauer, A. & Arndt, W. (Eds.), Fauna Arctica. Eine Zusammenstellung der arktischen Tierformen mit besonderer Berucksichtigung des Spitzbergen-Gebietes auf Grund der Ergebnisse der Deutschen Expedition in das Nordliche Eismeer im Jahre 1898, 5 (4), Fischer, Jena, pp. 857 - 1042.

Koltun, V. M. (1959) Siliceous horny sponges of the northern and fareastern seas of the U. S. S. R., Zoologicheskim Muzeem Akademii Nauk, 67, 1 - 236. [in Russian]

Mostler, H. (1990) Mikroskleren von Demospongien (Porifera) aus dem basalen Jura der Nordlichen Kalkalpen. Geologisch- Palaontologische Mitteilungen Insbruck, 17, 119 - 142.

Schrammen, A. (1924) Die Kieselspongien der oberen Kreide von Nordwestdeutschland. III und letzter Teil. Mit Beitragen zur Stammesgeschichte. Monographien zur Geologie und Palaontologie, 1, 1 - 159. [Stuttgart]

Figures

FIGURE 19. Spicules of sponges of the order Poecilosclerida; A – E—Anisodiscorhabds of Sigmosceptrella quadrilobata, family Podospongiidae; F – H—Exotyles of Mycale (Rhaphidotheca) cf. loricata, family Mycalidae; I – L—Exotyles of Mycale (Rhaphidotheca) sp., family Mycalidae; M, N—Dischelae of Coelodischela cf. massa, family Guitarridae; O—Pseudoastrose acanthotylote of Discorhabdella cf. incrustans, family Crambeidae; P—Discorhabd of Sigmosceptrella quadrilobata, family Podospongiidae; Q – T—Acanthostyles of the family Myxyllidae, order Poecilosclerida.