Pheronema

Pheronema

Contents hide
1) Classification of Pheronema
2) Habit and habitat
3) Distribution
4) General Characterstics
5) Identification

Classification of Pheronema

  • Phylum :- Porifera (Pore bearing, cellular grade, asymmetrical or radially symmetrical)
  • Class :- HexactineIlida (Marine glass sponges with siliceous spicules of triaxon or six-pointed type)
  • Order :- Amphidiscophora (Hexaster spicules absent; amphidiscs present and skeleton mainly of diactins)
  • Family: Pheronematidae (Deep-sea glass sponges with long twisted root tufts anchoring them to the substrate)
  • Genus :- Pheronema  (Cup or bowl-shaped glass sponges with spicule tufts, attached by root spicules, and symbiotic association with polyps)
Classification of Pheronema

Habit and habitat

  • It is found on the bottom of sea. It is the commonest hexactinellid amphidiscophore adapted for deep-sea life

Distribution

  • It is found in U.K., U.S.A., and Europe.

General Characterstics

  • Animal has a thick-walled cup or bowl-shaped body with the spongocoel opening above and with spicules in the form of tufts.
  • Pleural tufts and long-twisted root tufts are present resembling glass wool.
  • Projecting marginal and pleural prostals possess long monactines with small spines at one end, called as scepters.
  • Spongocoel opens through the osculum which is encircled by upright spicules or marginal prostals.
  • The animal in attached to the rocks by root spicules.
Classification of Pheronema

Identification

  • Since the specimen contains spicular tufts such as marginal prostals and pleural prostals, hence it is Pheronema.

Leave a Reply