Plakina, SCHULZE, 1880

Cruz-Barraza, José Antonio, Vega, Cristina & Carballo, José Luis, 2014, Taxonomy of family Plakinidae (Porifera: Homoscleromorpha) from eastern Pacific coral reefs, through morphology and cox 1 and cob mtDNA data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 171 (2), pp. 254-276 : 258

GENUS PLAKINA SCHULZE, 1880

Type species

Plakina monolopha Schulze, 1880

Diagnosis

Encrusting to massive Plakinidae with a skeleton formed by diods, triods, calthrops, and lophocalthrops, homogeneously ramified with one, two, three, or four rays. Candelabra spicules (heterolophose calthrops) missing. Lophocalthrops are generally concentrated at the sponge surface and bordering canals. Development of the ectosome is variable, and subectosomal cavities may be present (e.g. Plakina trilopha ). Choanocyte chambers are eurypylous or aphodal, usually with a radial arrangement around incurrent and excurrent canals ( Muricy & Díaz, 2002).