Phylum porifera is an ecologically and economically important group of marine invertebrates, currently a major focus of marine natural product (pharmaceutical) research. Research whilst compiling this book has uncovered a fauna about twice the size as that previously published in the literature and consequently Systema Porifera revises and stabilizes the systematics of the phylum to accommodate this new knowledge in a contemporary framework. Practical tools (key illustrations, descriptions of character) are provided to facilitate the assignment of approximately 680 extant...

Phylum porifera is an ecologically and economically important group of marine invertebrates, currently a major focus of marine natural product (pharmaceutical) research. Research whilst compiling this book has uncovered a fauna about twice the size as that previously published in the literature and consequently Systema Porifera revises and stabilizes the systematics of the phylum to accommodate this new knowledge in a contemporary framework. Practical tools (key illustrations, descriptions of character) are provided to facilitate the assignment of approximately 680 extant...