Family Mycalidae Lundbeck, 1905

Abstract

Mycalidae Lundbeck (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida) is restricted to taxa with the combination of palmate anisochelae and a tangential surface skeleton. It consists of two genera, Mycale s.l. and Phlyctaenopora, which includes Barbozia. The large genus Mycale is subdivided in 11 subgenera, viz., Aegogropila, Anomomycale, Arenochalina, Carmia, Grapelia, Mycale, Naviculina, Oxymycale, Paresperella, Rhaphidotheca and Zygomycale. These subgenera are probably artificial and some ‘overlap’ in characters, but they may serve to differentiate the 150 or more species assigned to Mycale. The genera Raphioderma, Rhaphiodesma, Protoesperia and Mycalecarmia are considered junior synonyms of Mycale (Mycale). The genus Esperia and its replacement name Esperella, as well as Pellinula, are considered junior synonyms of subgenus Aegogropila. The genera Acamas, Acamasina, Kerasemna and Parisociella are junior synonyms of Arenochalina. The genus Oxycarmia is considered a junior synonym of Carmia. The genus Pseudoesperia is considered a junior synonym of Grapelia. The genera Gomphostegia and Sceptrospongia are junior synonyms of Rhaphidotheca. Keys to the genera and subgenera are provided.