Theonellidae Lendenfeld, 1903

Hall, Kathryn A., Ekins, Merrick G. & Hooper, John N. A., 2014, Two new desma-less species of Theonella Gray, 1868 (Demospongiae: Astrophorida: Theonellidae), from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and a re-evaluation of one species assigned previously to Dercitus Gray, 1867, Zootaxa 3814 (4), pp. 451-477 : 455

Family Theonellidae Lendenfeld, 1903

Diagnosis (after Pisera and Lévi 2002; Fromont and Pisera, 2011): polymorphic, choanosomal spicules as tetraclone desmas; ectosomal spicules as phyllo- to discotriaenes; large choanosomal oxeas sometimes present; megascleres sometimes completely absent (some Theonella ); microscleres characteristically as small, acanthose microrhabds, sometimes centrangulate or with slight curve, sometimes as streptasters and microrhabds ( Manihinea ) or streptasters only ( Racodiscula ).

Type-genus: Theonella Gray, 1868 .