Palaeos:		Porifera
Porifera		Ceractinomorpha

Ceractinomorpha

PORIFERA
|--Archaeocyatha  
`--+--Stromatoporoidea  
   `--+--Calcarea  
      `--+--Hexactinellida  
         `--+--Demospongiae  
            |  |--Tetractinomorpha  
            |  `--Ceractinomorpha  
            `--+--Homoscleromorpha  
               `--Eumetazoa  

Introduction

Cambrian-Recent)

Stylissa stipitata
Trumpet or Vase Sponge
Size : 12 to 15 cm tall
Class Demospongiae - Subclass Ceractinomorpha - Order Axinellida - Family Axinellidae
This photo shows a top view of vase shaped sponge, looking down the flute.

These sponges are frequently branching but may be encrusting, massive lobate fan-shaped or cuplike, and bizarre symmetrical shapes may occur among deep-sea species. They range in depth from intertidal habitats down to at least 7000 meters. [ref: Curt Smecher]

<==o CERACTINOMORPHA
   |--o DENDROCERATIDA
   |  |-- Halisarcidae
   |  |-- Aplysillidae
   |  `-- Dictyodendrillidae*
   |--o DICTYOCERATIDA
   |  |-- Spongiidae
   |  |-- Thorectidae
   |  `-- Dysideidae
   |--o VERONGIIDA
   |  |-- Aplysinidae*
   |  |-- Aplysellidae*
   |  `-- Aplanthellidae*
   |--o HAPLOSCLERIDA
   |  |-- Haliclonidae
   |  |-- Niphatidae
   |  |-- Callyspongiidae
   |  |-- Oceanapiidae
   |  |-- Spongillidae
   |  |-- Lubomirskiidae
   |  `-- Potamolepidae
   |--o PETROSIIDA
   |  `-- Petrosiidae*
   |--o POECILOSCLERIDA
   |  |-- Mycalidae
   |  |-- Hamacanthidae
   |  |-- Cladorhizidae
   |  |-- Biemnidae
   |  |-- Esperiopsidae
   |  |-- Coelosphaeridae
   |  |-- Crellidae
   |  |-- Myxillidae
   |  |-- Tedaniidae
   |  |-- Hymedesmiidae
   |  |-- Anchinoidae
   |  `-- Clathriidae
   `--o HALICHONDRIDA
      |-- Halichondridae
      `-- Hymeniacidonidae

References and Links

The above cladogram is based on Parker, Sybil P. (ed.), 1982: Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 2 vols.

For an alternative (and more recent) classification, see  Curt Smecher, The Systematics of the Sponges. Also (from the same site) Demosponges of British Columbia (systematic list of species), and Ceractinomorpha Levi