Subclass AMPHIDISCOPHORA Schulze, 1886
Diagnosis
Lophophytous Hexactinellida which always contain amphidisc microsleres or some variant of them, and triaxon microscleres which never bear terminal ray branching (never astral microscleres); choanosomal skeleton of loose megascleres, never fused together, in the form of hexactins, pentactins, stauractins, tauactins, diactins or some combination of these; hypodermalia usually as pentactins, rarely hexactins and stauractins.
Diagnosis References
Reiswig, H. 2002. Class Hexactinellida Schmidt, 1870. pp. 1201-1202 in Hooper, J.N.A. & Soest, R.W.M. Van (eds). Systema Porifera. A guide to the classification of sponges. New York : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Vol. 2 [1202]