Lychniscosida

Lychniscosida (sometimes spelled Lychniscosa) is an order of sponges belonging to the class Hexactinellida and subclass Hexasterophora. They are dictyonal sponges (with parenchymal spicules fully fused into a 3D framework) characterized by the presence of additional struts at the nodes of the skeleton. These struts create octahedral frames, known as lychniscs ("lanterns").

Most members of the order are extinct, with their highest diversity as major reef builders in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology'' Part E, Revised. Porifera, Volume 3: Classes Demospongea, Hexactinellida, Heteractinida & Calcarea, xxxi + 872 p., 506 fig., 1 table, 2004, availabl
here
. A few uncertain claims of Triassic lychniscosids have also been reported from China. Only three genera are still alive today: '' Lychnocystis'' (family Aulocystidae), '' Neoaulocystis'' (family Aulocystidae), and '' Scleroplegma'' (family Diapleuridae).

Families

* Aulocystidae retaceous–Holocene* † Callodictyonidae –Oligocene">pper Jurassic–Oligocene* † Calyptrellidae pper Cretaceousref name=":02" />
* † Camerospongiidae retaceousref name=":02" />
* † Coeloptychidae retaceousref name=":02" />
* † Cypelliidae urassicref name=":02" />
* † Dactylocalycidae urassic–Upper Cretaceous* Diapleuridae –Holocene">ocene–Holocene* † Polyblastidiidae pper Jurassic–Cretaceousref name=":02" />
* † Sporadopylidae pper Jurassic–Cretaceousref name=":02" />
* † Ventriculitidae urassic–Upper Cretaceousref name=":02" />

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4143365

Hexactinellida
Sponge orders