Cliona Grant, 1826

Pacheco, Cristian, Carballo, José Luis, Cortés, Jorge, Segovia, Johanna & Trejo, Alejandra, 2018, Excavating sponges from the Pacific of Central America, descriptions and a faunistic record, Zootaxa 4370 (5), pp. 451-491 : 454

Genus Cliona Grant, 1826

Synonymy. See Soest et al. (2016).

Diagnosis. Excavating sponges in different morphologies, but primarily in alpha and beta growth forms (excavating chambers in calcium carbonate, communicating only through papillae with ambient water). Some species occurring in beta morphology by merging of papillae and forming coherent surface crusts in addition to endolithic tissue. Very few known as free-living sponges in gamma form. Some gamma morphologies attaining large, irregular-massive or cup shapes. No known endopsammic morphologies. Megascleres as tylostyles, Microscleres mostly spirasters and derivates, in some species slim raphides as accessory spicules, but never of structural importance. Spirasters straight, bent, kinked, or spiralling spiny rhabds, including amphiasterose forms clearly derived from true spirasters; extreme forms may be entirely smooth (adapted from Rützler 2002).