Heteroscleromorpha

Heteroscleromorpha is a subclass of demosponges within the phylum Porifera.^[3]

^[1]

Heteroscleromorpha
Axinella polypoides
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera
Class:	Demospongiae
Subclass:	Heteroscleromorpha Cárdenas, Pérez & Boury-Esnault, 2012[2]
Orders
Agelasida Axinellida Biemnida Bubarida Clionaida Desmacellida Haplosclerida Merliida Poecilosclerida Polymastiida Scopalinida Sphaerocladina Spongillida Suberitida Tethyida Tetractinellida Trachycladida Heteroscleromorpha incertae sedis
Synonyms
List Democlavia Desmacidonitida Hadromerida Halichondrida Haploscleromorpha Lithistida Spirastrellida

Among the demosponge group heteroscleromorpha are significantly important as they contain the largest number of taxa with an estimate of 5000 species.

References

1. Morrow, C. C.; Redmond, N. E.; Picton, B. E.; Thacker, R. W.; Collins, A. G.; Maggs, C. A.; Sigwart, J. D.; Allcock, A. L. (2013-09-01). "Molecular Phylogenies Support Homoplasy of Multiple Morphological Characters Used in the Taxonomy of Heteroscleromorpha (Porifera: Demospongiae)". Integrative and Comparative Biology. 53 (3): 428–446. doi:10.1093/icb/ict065. ISSN 1540-7063. PMC 3744896. PMID 23753661.
2. Cárdenas, P.; Pérez, T.; Boury-Esnault, N. (2012). Sponge Systematics Facing New Challenges. Advances in Sponge Science: Phylogeny, Systematics, Ecology. 79-209., page(s): 170
3. van Soest, R. (2016). Heteroscleromorpha. Accessed through World Register of Marine Species on 2017-02-17.