Ernstilla is a genus of sea sponges and is the only genus in the monotypic family Ernstillidae. It is represented by a single species Ernstilla lacunosa.
| Ernstilla | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Porifera |
| Class: | Demospongiae |
| Order: | Verongiida |
| Family: | Ernstillidae Valecet et al, 2019.[1] |
| Genus: | Ernstilla Valecet et al. 2019.[1] |
| Species: | E. lacunosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Ernstilla lacunosa (Hentschel, 1912)
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| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
editThe genus emerged from an examination of species then classified as Dendrilla lacunosa by Ernst Hentschel in 1912, describing specimens collected in Indonesia and later discovered at the Kimberley and northwest coast of Australia. The Western Australian researcher Jane Fromont observed that the form of the species, long and whip-like, resembled other classifications and not the small delicate structure of other Dendrilla species. The initial examination required international research to complete, and the result was the identification of a new genus and family, allied to the Verongiida order.[1] The study discovered that while resembling the morphology of the former classification, the skeletal structure of the species was suspected and confirmed to contain chitin.[2]
Etymology
editThe new genus and family name are derived from the original author's first name, Ernst.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c Vacelet, Jean; Erpenbeck, Dirk; Diaz, Cristina; Ehrlich, Hermann; Fromont, Jane (1 May 2019). "New family and genus for Dendrilla-like sponges with characters of Verongiida. Part I redescription of Dendrilla lacunosa Hentschel 1912, diagnosis of the new family Ernstillidae and Ernstilla n. g." Zoologischer Anzeiger. 280: 14–20. Bibcode:2019ZooAn.280...14V. doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2019.03.001. ISSN 0044-5231.
- ^ Fromont, Jane; Żółtowska-Aksamitowska, Sonia; Galli, Roberta; Meissner, Heike; Erpenbeck, Dirk; Vacelet, Jean; Diaz, Christina; Tsurkan, Mikhail V.; Petrenko, Iaroslav; Youssef, Diaa. T. A.; Ehrlich, Hermann (1 May 2019). "New family and genus of a Dendrilla-like sponge with characters of Verongiida. Part II. Discovery of chitin in the skeleton of Ernstilla lacunosa". Zoologischer Anzeiger. 280: 21–29. Bibcode:2019ZooAn.280...21F. doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2019.03.002. ISSN 0044-5231.
- ^ Hosie, A. "New name for a tropical whip sponge". Western Australian Museum blog. No. May 2019.