Key to the species of Paraleucilla

1. Tangential triactines are present on the sponge surface........................................................ 2

- Tangential triactines are absent........................................................................... 8

2. Cortical tetractines belong to two categories....................................................... P. crosslandi

- Cortical tetractine belong to only one category.............................................................. 3

3. Diactines are absent............................................................................. P. magna

- Diactines are present................................................................................... 4

4. Diactines are in tufts.......................................................................... P. perlucida

- Diactines are free in the skeleton......................................................................... 5

5. Diactines have spines........................................................................ P. saccharata

- Diactines are smooth................................................................................... 6

6. Subatrial skeleton contains triactines.................................................... P. incomposita sp. nov.

- Subatrial skeleton does not contain triactines................................................................ 7

7. Atrial skeleton composed of triactines............................................................. P. cucumis

- Atrial skeleton composed of tetractines............................................................ P. princeps

8. Subatrial skeleton composed only of triactines........................................................ P. proteus

- Subatrial skeleton composed of triactines and tetractines....................................................... 9

9. Subatrial triactines and tetractines both belong to more than one spicule category........................ P. oca sp. nov.

- Subatrial triactines and tetractines both belong to only one spicule category...................................... 10

10. Diactines are small (177.5 ± 5.8 µm) and mainly occur embedded in the inner region....................... P. sphaerica

- Diactines are large (498.0 ±103.7 µm) and cross the sponge wall from the cortex to the choanosome... P. solangeae sp. nov.