Clathrinida

The Clathrinida are an order of calcareous sponges found in marine environments. Clathrinida is a well-known non-monophyletic order under the class of calcarea, and was first named in 1958 by Willard D Hartman based on corticalization (body cortex)[5]. The fossil record of calcarea is relatively poor due to the nature of sponge – the fossil remains often don’t have the diagnostic spicules – but it’s certain that they are common in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic but rare in the Cenozoic [7].

These sponges have an asconoid structure and lack a true dermal membrane or cortex. The spongocoel is lined with choanocytes. One of the most famous species of Clathrinida is lemon sponge, featuring a bright yellow color and a slightly elongated-globular growth form [7].

The Clathrinida is a rich and variable tubular marine sponge with calcareous skeletons. The sponge is organized into simple tubes called the olynthus with an internal and external layer. Both layers are present in the early development stages of Clathrinida and the complex adult body still originates from the original olynthus [1]. The adults grow from the olynthus and through division the tube is separated into separate functional units called cormus. These separate units have degrees of differentiation based on their function, but have a central tube taking the function of the atrium [5]. This organism also includes spicules made of calcium carbonate and have up to four rays that radiate from a single point. Skeleton and body anastomosis are the most widely used characteristics when assigning the taxonomy for Clathrinida [1]. In general, the skeleton and body anastomosis (the connection of healthy sections of tubular structures in the body) are valid similar characteristics that define the taxonomy of the order [8]. For obvious physical characteristics, the Clathrinida comes in several colors such as white, red, yellow, or pink and are all relatively small measuring up to a few centimeters [1].

All developmental stages are present and Clathrinidae use the classic steps of organization: ascon, sycon, and leucon. These steps allow Clathrinida to move from a unicellular organism to a multicellular one [8]. This organism uses a olynthus grade, a short lived stage of development where the colony attaches to a substrate of organization to grow and divide. They also use anastomosis, a cross connection or network of tubes, to form their larger functional unit. The network and organization of small and large functional tubes is obtained through median division of simple tubes. Through this process, radial organization is established with the central tube taking the job of the digestive system releasing excretory products [6]. This is also known as the cloaca.  Once this is established, the organism moves from larvae stages to their adult stage. Once the adult stage is reached, the sponge becomes sessile, meaning they are immobile [8]. Due to their structure, Clathrinidae are able to filter a large mass of ocean water and therefore eat small organisms such as detritus, picoplankton, and heterotrophic bacteria. This makes them omnivores that are significant in the process of nutrient cycling in the water column [4].

Because the sponges are sedimentary, they are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, commercial fishing, oil exploitation, and other human activities. Additionally, marine sponges are known to be long-lived and slow-growing, so they are likely to be vulnerable to human disturbance and environmental change [9]

Clathrinida is an order of calcareous sponges that can be found in all seas. They are more likely to be found in shallow, shaded habitats, often within several meters of the surface. For example, marine caves and other less-exposed, shallow, but benthic environments [4]. They are also abundant in rich temperate estuaries and Pacific coral reefs. During higher temperatures, they are more abundant because they are sexually reproductive. Sponges are more readily permeated by water than other organisms, so changes in water temperature can affect their behavior and physiology [5]. As they can survive in a broad range of conditions, their permeability does not limit the reaches of Clathrinidia, but concentrates species in their preferred habitat of warmer, shallow regions of the seas [4].

The order is currently rapidly expanding and the resulting species are rich in variety. These calcareous sponges have an unknown fossilization process, however, which means that there may have been more intermediaries that we do not have records of [6]. Clathrinidia, being a diverse group, have many tracked evolutionary lines, meaning that different species of Clathrinidia may have evolved to be similar by convergence, rather than divergence.

Animalia (kingdom) → Porifera (phylum) → Calcarea (class) → Calcinea (subclass) → Clathrinida (order)