Phidoloporidae Gabb & Horn, 1862

Description: Colony generally erect, reticulate, forming a lacey network with zooids opening on one side of the branches, and with extrazooidal calcification on the basal side; colony attachment by thickened extrazooidal calcification at proximal portion. Some colonies are delicate and branching, not forming networks. Some genera are encrusting unilaminar; one forms nodular colonies. Zooid frontal with marginal pores only, surface smooth or pustulose. Zooid orifice with a sinuate or orbicular orifice; primary orifice often obscured by thickening frontal calcification. Articulated oral spines may be present. A tubular pseudospiramen may develop on the proximal side of the peristome by coalescence of the marginal processes. Many genera have a denticulate distal margin to the orifice. Ovicells hyperstomial; prominent initially, becoming immersed in secondary calcification. Proximal margin of orifice may be elaborated into a projecting lip, or straight, or indented. Ovicell frontal may have entire calcification, or may be perforate with a pore, slit, or complex dentate fissure. Avicularia generally present, of varied types in different groups; mainly adventitious, with interzooidal avicularia in a few species.

Image below is of the original family definition, from Gabb & Horn, 1862.
Prepared by courtesy of Mary Spencer-Jones, Copyright © Natural History Museum, London.

This family includes the genera

1. Allorhynchozoon
2. Bryorachis
3. Chevron
4. Dentiporella
5. Dictyochasma
6. Fodinella
7. Hippellozoon
8. Hippopozoon
9. Iodictyum
10. Lifuella
11. Malleatia
12. Metacleidochasma
13. Phidolopora
14. Plesiocleidochasma
15. Psileschara
16. Psilosecos
17. Reteporella
18. Reteporellina
19. Rhynchozoon
20. Schedocleidochasma
21. Schizoretepora
22. Schizotheca
23. Sparsiporina
24. Stephanollona
25. Strophiella
26. Triphyllozoon

Bryorachis pichoni (Thanks to Dennis Gordon, NIWA)	Chevron prestoni (Thanks to Dennis Gordon, NIWA)	Dictyochasma sinuosa	Fodinella spinigera
Iodictyum magniavicularis (Thanks to Ann-Marget Amui)	Iodictyum phoeniceum	Iodictyum phoeniceum: colour photograph by Karen Gowlett-Holmes.	Iodictyum willeyi
Malleatia rara (Thanks to Dennis Gordon, NIWA)	Phidolopora avicularis	Plesiocleidochasma fallax	Plesiocleidochasma normani
Reteporella beaniana Thanks to Wolfgang Seifarth for photos	Reteporella flabellata (Thanks to Dennis Gordon, NIWA)	Reteporella graeffei	Reteporellina denticulata
Rhynchozoon haha (Thanks to Ann-Marget Amui)	Rhynchozoon sp.1	Stephanollona orbicularis	Triphyllozoon arcuatum
Triphyllozoon munitum	Triphyllozoon moniliferum: colour photograph by Karen Gowlett-Holmes.	Triphyllozoon munitum: colour photograph by Karen Gowlett-Holmes.	Triphyllozoon tenue (Thanks to Ann-Marget Amui)

Phidolopora pacifica - at the British Columbia Creature Page.

Reteporella beaniana - at Norsk Marine Fauna.

Reteporellina page at NMITA
Rhynchozoon page at NMITA
Schedocleidochasma page at NMITA