Leucosolenia is a genus of calcareous sponges belonging to the family Leucosoleniidae. Species of this genus usually appear as groups of curved vases, up to 2 cm long, each ending in an osculum. The overall shape is sometimes likened to a tiny bunch of bananas. They are most often observed in tide pools, clustered around the base of seaweeds or on rocks, and occur in a variety of colours, usually rather pale. Its canal system is of asconoid type. The colony consists of few simple vase-like, cylindrical individuals each terminating in an osculum and united at their bases by irregular horizontal tubes. Leucosolenia reproduces both asexually and sexually. asexual reproduction by budding and sexual reproduction takes place by formation of gametes, i.e., ova and sperms. Lecosolenia is hermaphrodite, because both the gametes are formed in the body of same individual. Sponges are mostly asymmetrical, but Leucosolenia is symmetrical.
Species
The following species are recognised in the genus Leucosolenia:
- Leucosolenia aboralis <small>Brøndsted, 1931</small>
- Leucosolenia albatrossi <small>Hôzawa, 1918</small>
- Leucosolenia arachnoides <small>(Haeckel, 1872)</small>
- Leucosolenia australis <small>Brøndsted, 1931</small>
- Leucosolenia botryoides <small>(Ellis & Solander, 1786)</small>
- Leucosolenia brondstedi <small>Van Soest & Hooper, 2020</small>
- Leucosolenia cervicornis <small>(Haeckel, 1872)</small>
- Leucosolenia clarkii <small>(Verrill, 1873)</small>
- Leucosolenia complicata <small>(Montagu, 1814)</small>
- Leucosolenia corallorrhiza <small>(Haeckel, 1872)</small>
- Leucosolenia cyathus <small>(Haeckel, 1870)</small>
- Leucosolenia discoveryi <small>Jenkin, 1908</small>
- Leucosolenia echinata <small>Kirk, 1893</small>
- Leucosolenia eleanor <small>Urban, 1906</small>
- Leucosolenia eustephana <small>Haeckel, 1872</small>
- Leucosolenia falklandica <small>Breitfuss, 1898</small>
- Leucosolenia feuerlandica <small>Tanita, 1942</small>
- Leucosolenia fragilis <small>(Haeckel, 1870)</small>
- Leucosolenia gegenbauri <small>(Haeckel, 1870)</small>
- Leucosolenia goethei <small>(Haeckel, 1870)</small>
- Leucosolenia hispidissima <small>(Haeckel, 1872)</small>
- Leucosolenia horrida <small>(Schmidt in Haeckel, 1872)</small>
- Leucosolenia incerta <small>Urban, 1908</small>
- Leucosolenia kagoshimensis <small>(Hozawa, 1929)</small>
- Leucosolenia lucasi <small>Dendy, 1891</small>
- Leucosolenia macquariensis <small>Dendy, 1918</small>
- Leucosolenia microspinata <small>Longo, 2009</small>
- Leucosolenia minchini <small>Jenkin, 1908</small>
- Leucosolenia minuta <small>Tanita, 1943</small>
- Leucosolenia mollis <small>Tanita, 1941</small>
- Leucosolenia nautilia <small>de Laubenfels, 1930</small>
- Leucosolenia parthenopea <small>SarÃÂ , 1953</small>
- Leucosolenia pilosella <small>Brøndsted, 1931</small>
- Leucosolenia pyriformis <small>Tanita, 1943</small>
- Leucosolenia rosea <small>Kirk, 1896</small>
- Leucosolenia salpinx <small>Van Soest, 2017</small>
- Leucosolenia serica <small>Tanita, 1942</small>
- Leucosolenia somesii <small>(Bowerbank, 1874)</small>
- Leucosolenia tenera <small>Tanita, 1940</small>
- Leucosolenia variabilis <small>Haeckel, 1870</small>
- Leucosolenia ventosa <small>Hôzawa, 1940</small>
- Leucosolenia vesicula <small>(Haeckel, 1870)</small>
References