Erylinae Sollas, 1888

Sim-Smith, Carina & Kelly, Michelle, 2019, Review of the sponge genus Penares (Demospongiae, Tetractinellida, Astrophorina) in the New Zealand EEZ, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 4638 (1), pp. 1-56 : 4

Subfamily Erylinae Sollas, 1888

Erylina Sollas, 1888: 209.

Erylidae Lendenfeld, 1910a: 11, 1910b:267.

Diagnosis. Thickly encrusting, massive, globular or branching Geodiidae with a well-developed double-layered cortex. Ectocortical microscleres are spherules or microrhabds. Endocortical microscleres are aspidasters and/or sterrasters. Megascleres are oxeas and orthotriaenes, plagiotriaenes and dichotriaenes, typically short-shafted, the cladomes of which align along the lower endocortex boundary. Skeleton tends to be disorganised with triaenes and oxeas subradially arranged. Anatriaenes and protriaenes are absent. The choanosomal microsclere is an oxyaster (after Sim-Smith & Kelly 2015).