''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of

carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...

demosponge Demosponges (Demospongiae) are the most diverse class in the phylum Porifera. They include 76.2% of all species of sponges with nearly 8,800 species worldwide (World Porifera Database). They are sponges with a soft body that covers a har ...

s of the family

Cladorhizidae Cladorhizidae is a family of demosponges which are carnivorous and prey on crustaceans and other small animals. They are deep sea sponges typically found on oceanic ridges and seamount systems. As of 2017, nine new species have been discovered ...

. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at present, but at least two additional undescribed ones are known to exist, while some of the described ones are known only from a few specimens or (e.g. the enigmatic ''

Chondrocladia occulta ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at present, ...

'') just a single one, and their validity and/or placement in ''Chondrocladia'' is doubtful. ''Chondrocladia'' sponges are stipitate, with a stalk frequently anchored in the substrate by rhizoids and an egg-shaped body, sometimes with branches that end in inflatable spheres. Fossils assignable to this genus are known since the Pleistocene, less than 2 million years ago. But given its deep sea habitat, ''Chondrocladia'' may well have been around for much longer – perhaps since the Mesozoic, as characteristic spicules (termed "microcricorhabds" or "trochirhabds"), almost identical to those of some living ''Chondrocladia'', are known from Early Jurassic rocks almost 200 million years old.

Carnivory

These sponges gained media attention when a new species, a gourd-shaped carnivorous sponge, was featured in reports of finds off the coast of Antarctica. The new ''Chondrocladia'' was one of 76 sponge species identified in the seas off Antarctica by the Antarctic Benthic Deep-Sea Biodiversity Project (ANDEEP) between 2002 and 2005, conducted aboard the German research vessel '' Polarstern''. Carnivorous sponges, which use hooked spicules to capture small crustaceans, have been known only since 1995, when ''

Asbestopluma hypogea ''Asbestopluma'' is a genus of sponges belonging to the family Cladorhizidae. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the wor ...

'', another genus of the family Cladorhizidae, was identified in Mediterranean sea caves offshore La Ciotat ( France) by

Jean Vacelet Jean Vacelet is a French marine biologist who specialises in the underwater fauna of the Mediterranean. After earning his licence at the Faculté des Sciences de Marseille and learning to dive in 1954, he specialised in the study of sponges at th ...

and

Nicole Boury-Esnault Nicole Boury-Esnault is a retired French researcher of sponges, formerly at Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille, Aix-Marseille University. Research In 1995, Nicole Boury-Esnault and Jean Vacelet discovered a species of carnivorous sponges of t ...

. Carnivory has since turned out to be common and typical for this sponge family. Unlike their relatives, ''Chondrocladia'' still possesses the water flow system and choanocytes typical of sponges, albeit highly modified to inflate balloon-like structures that are used for capturing prey.

Species

The known species of ''Chondrocladia'' are: * ''

Chondrocladia albatrossi ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at present, ...

'' Tendal, 1973 * ''

Chondrocladia amphactis ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' (Schmidt, 1880) * ''

Chondrocladia antarctica ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Hentschel, 1914 * ''

Chondrocladia arenifera ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Brøndsted, 1929 * ''

Chondrocladia asigmata ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Lévi, 1964 * ''

Chondrocladia burtoni ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Tendal, 1973 * ''

Chondrocladia clavata ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Ridley & Dendy, 1886 * ''

Chondrocladia concrescens ''Chondrocladia concrescens'' (formerly ''Cladorhiza concrescens'') is a species of deep-sea carnivorous sponge in the family Cladorhizidae. It is commonly known as the "ping pong tree sponge" due to its distinctive tree-like shape with multiple ...

'' (Schmidt, 1880) * ''

Chondrocladia crinita ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous Demospongiae, demosponges of the family (biology), family Cladorhizidae. ''Neocladia (sponge), Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 ...

'' Ridley & Dendy, 1886 * '' Chondrocladia dichotoma'' Lévi, 1964 * '' Chondrocladia fatimae'' Boury-Esnault & Van Beveren, 1982 * ''

Chondrocladia gigantea ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' (Hansen, 1885) * ''

Chondrocladia gracilis ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Lévi, 1964 * ''

Chondrocladia grandis ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' (Verrill, 1879) * '' Chondrocladia guiteli'' Topsent, 1904 * ''

Chondrocladia koltuni ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Vacelet, 2006 * '' Chondrocladia lampadiglobus'' Vacelet, 2006 –

Ping-pong Tree Sponge Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table di ...

* '' Chondrocladia latrunculioides'' Lopes, Bravo & Hajdu, 2011 * ''

Chondrocladia levii ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Cristobo, Urgorri & Ríos, 2005 * ''

Chondrocladia lyra ''Chondrocladia lyra'', also known as the lyre sponge or harp sponge, is a species of carnivorous deep-sea sponge first discovered off the Californian coast living at depths of by Welton L. Lee, Henry M Reiswig, William C. Austin, and Lonny Lun ...

'' Lee ''et al.'', 2012 * ''

Chondrocladia magna ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Tanita, 1965 * '' Chondrocladia latrunculioides'' Lopes, Bravo & Hajdu, 2011 * ''

Chondrocladia multichela ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous Demospongiae, demosponges of the family (biology), family Cladorhizidae. ''Neocladia (sponge), Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 ...

'' Lévi, 1964 * '' Chondrocladia nani'' Boury-Esnault & Van Beveren, 1982 * ''

Chondrocladia nicolae ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Cristobo, Urgorri & Ríos, 2005 * ''

'' (Lehnert, Stone & Heimler, 2006) * ''

Chondrocladia pulvinata ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Lévi, 1964 * ''

Chondrocladia rogersi ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Hestetun, Rapp & Xavier, 2017 * ''

Chondrocladia robertballardi ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Cristobo, Rios, Pomponi & Xavier, 2015 * ''

Chondrocladia saffronae ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Goodwin, Berman, Downey & Hendry, 2017 * ''

Chondrocladia schlatteri ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Lopes, Bravo & Hajdu, 2011 * '' Chondrocladia scolionema'' Lévi, 1993 * ''

Chondrocladia stipitata ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Ridley & Dendy, 1886 * '' Chondrocladia tasmaniensis'' Vacelet, Kelly & Schlacher-Hoenlinger, 2009 * ''

Chondrocladia turbiformis ''Chondrocladia turbiformis'' is a recently discovered species of carnivorous sponge. References Animals described in 2009 turbiformis {{demosponge-stub ...

'' Vacelet, Kelly & Schlacher-Hoenlinger, 2009 * '' Chondrocladia vaceleti'' Cristobo, Urgorri & Ríos, 2005 * ''

Chondrocladia verticillata ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous Demospongiae, demosponges of the family (biology), family Cladorhizidae. ''Neocladia (sponge), Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 ...

'' Topsent, 1920 * ''

Chondrocladia virgata ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous demosponges of the family Cladorhizidae. '' Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 named species are placed in this genus at presen ...

'' Thomson, 1873 ( type species) * ''

Chondrocladia yatsui ''Chondrocladia'' is a genus of carnivorous Demospongiae, demosponges of the family (biology), family Cladorhizidae. ''Neocladia (sponge), Neocladia'' was long considered a junior synonym, but has recently become accepted as a distinct genus. 33 ...

'' Topsent, 1930 ''C. alaskensis'' and ''C. pulchra'' are better placed in '' Crambe'' or ''

Monanchora ''Monanchora'' is a genus of demosponges belonging to the family Crambeida. The genus contains 18 species, which have been researched for their potential use in medicine. Description Morphology The species with in ''Monanchora'' vary in th ...

''. ''C. dura'', ''C. ramosa'' and ''C. sessilis'' are

s of ''

Iotrochota purpurea ''Iotrochota'' is a genus of sponges belonging to the family Iotrochotidae Iotrochotidae is a family of sponges belonging to the order Poecilosclerida Poecilosclerida is an order of the demosponge class. It is the most speciose demosponge o ...

''. ''C. flabelliformis'' is now in '' Neocladia''.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q309571 Cladorhizidae