Lychniscosida

Lychniscosida (sometimes spelled Lychniscosa) is an order of sponges belonging to the class Hexactinellida and subclass Hexasterophora.^[1][2] They are dictyonal sponges (with parenchymal spicules fully fused into a 3D framework) characterized by the presence of additional struts at the nodes of the skeleton. These struts create octahedral frames, known as lychniscs ("lanterns").

Lychniscosida Temporal range: Middle Jurassic–recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera
Class:	Hexactinellida
Subclass:	Hexasterophora
Order:	Lychniscosida Schrammen, 1903

Most members of the order are extinct, with their highest diversity as major reef builders in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.^[3] A few uncertain^[4] claims of Triassic lychniscosids have also been reported from China.^[5][6] Only three genera are still alive today:^[7] Lychnocystis (family Aulocystidae),^[8] Neoaulocystis (family Aulocystidae),^[8] and Scleroplegma (family Diapleuridae).^[9]

Families

• Aulocystidae [Cretaceous–Holocene]
• †Callodictyonidae [Upper Jurassic^[3]–Oligocene]
• †Calyptrellidae [Upper Cretaceous]^[3]
• †Camerospongiidae [Cretaceous]^[3]
• †Coeloptychidae [Cretaceous]^[3]
• †Cypelliidae [Jurassic]^[3]
• †Dactylocalycidae [Jurassic–Upper Cretaceous]
• Diapleuridae [Eocene^[10]–Holocene]
• †Polyblastidiidae [Upper Jurassic–Cretaceous]^[3]
• †Sporadopylidae [Upper Jurassic–Cretaceous]^[3]
• †Ventriculitidae [Jurassic–Upper Cretaceous]^[3]