Corvospongilla Annandale, 1911

Ruengsawang, Nisit, Hanjavanit, Narumon Sangpradub Chutima & Manconi, Renata, 2012, Biodiversity assessment of the Lower Mekong Basin: A new species of Corvospongilla (Porifera: Spongillina: Spongillidae) from Thailand, Zootaxa 3320, pp. 47-55 : 48-49

Genus Corvospongilla Annandale, 1911

[Type species Corvospongilla loricata ( Weltner, 1895) ]

Diagnosis (emended after Manconi & Pronzato, 2002). Spongillidae with encrusting flat to massive, lobate growth form. Consistency extremely hard to delicate. Spongin scanty except for the well developed basal spongin plate and the gemmular theca. Skeletal network alveolar (isotropic) with polygonal meshes, and ascending pauci- to multi-spicular tracts toward surface supporting conules. Megascleres from smooth, granulated or spiny strongyles, to oxeas. Microscleres sometime rare, straight to slightly bent micropseudobirotules with smooth shaft. Gemmules of two types, sometime coexistent, single or grouped, free in the skeletal network or fixed (sessile) at the sponge base, with or without a variably stout spicular cage. Foramen ranging from apical to lateral with a short porus tube. Gemmular theca from tri-layered with a variably developed pneumatic layer to mono- or bi-layered of compact laminar spongin, according to the gemmular type. Gemmuloscleres, tangentially arranged in the theca, from elongated, variably bent to ring-shaped to oval, stout, spiny strongyles to oxeas. Spicules of larvae slender smooth to spiny oxeas.