Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Porifera

Class: Demospongiae

Order: Homoscleromorpha

Family: Plakinidae

Genus: Plakortis

Species: Plakortis simplex

Domain Eukarya:  Organisms whose cells contain a true nucleus and membrane bound organelles

Supergroup Unikonta:  Occurrence of a single flagellum in their motile cells.

Kingdom Animalia:  Organisms are heterotrophic and acquire their nutrients via ingestion.  They are multi-cellular organisms with no alternation of generations and no cell walls.

Phylum Porifera:  Organisms are asymmetrical with totipotent cells, but no true tissues.  They are filter feeders.

For information on another organism from this phylum check out Cryptotethya crypta.

Class Demospongiae:  Organisms only exhibit Leuconoid form of sponges in which the axial canals are triangular in cross section.  If spicules are present they are made of silica.

Order Homosclerophorida:  Organisms’ skeletons consist of equirayed, tetraxonid spicules.

Family Plakinidae:  A lone family under the Order Homosclerophorida.

Genus Plakortis:  Spicules develop in two directions from a central point.

To view phylogenetic trees on P. simplex click here.