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LEUCOSOLENIA

LEUCOSOLENIA

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1) LEUCOSOLENIA
1.1) CLASSIFICATION OF LEUCOSOLENIA
1.2) GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
1.3) HABIT AND HABITAT
1.4) GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF LEUCOSOLENIA
1.5) IDENTIFICATION

CLASSIFICATION OF LEUCOSOLENIA

PHYLUM :- PORIFERA (Pore bearing, cellular grade, asymmetrical or radially symmetrical.)

CLASS :- CALCAREA (Calcareous spicules present.)

ORDER :- HOMOCOELA (Canal system of ascon type. )

FAMILY :- LEUCOSOLENIIDAE

GENUS :-  Leucosolenia

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Distributed from Matha’s vineyard to Gulf of St. Lawrence. From Casco bay to Arctic ocean and common in Europe.

HABIT AND HABITAT

Marine colonial sponge found in shallow waters below tidemark on seashore rocks, having intense wave action of the water.

LEUCOSOLENIA

GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF LEUCOSOLENIA

  • Colony is composed of bunches of whitish vertical cylinders and tubes about 25 mm long. 
  • Vertical tubes of the colony contain osculum distally. They are joined together by horizontal tubes at the base. The surface of the body is perforated by numerous pores or ostia or incurrent pores. 
  • Magnified portion of the colony shows vase-shaped individuals, inhalent ostia, tri-radiate spicules and horizontal branches attached to substratum. 
  • Simplest sponge with ostia ~ spongocoel ~ osculum arrangement of water current. Canal system is simplest of ascon type. Osculum is surrounded by oscular fringe.
  • Body wall is composed of dermal epithelium forming outer layer, and Choanocyte layer forming inner layer, separated by middle mesenchyme layer. 
  • Calcareous spicules are monaxon or Triaxon. 
  • Asexual reproduction by budding, branching and regeneration.
  • Sexual reproduction by ova and spermatozoa. Larva is parenchymula.
  • Leucosolenia has phylogenetic significance because complex sycon and leucon sponges pass through ascon stage during their development.
LEUCOSOLENIA

IDENTIFICATION

The above specimen contains oscula, ostia, anastomosing colony and all above characters and hence it is Leucosolenia.

LEUCOSOLENIA
LEUCOSOLENIA
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