Febvre, Febvre and Michaels, in press
Family characterized by 10 cylindrical spicules, equal or unequal, twisted at midpoint where they join and fit more or less tightly, or cemented at center. Endoplasm includes brown pigments, some nuclei and organelles. Ectoplasm clear, transparent, with anastomosed strands. A thin, flexed capsular wall is overlain by a superficial periplasmic cortex. A few thin axopodia emerge from cell body. The myonemes (2-6 per spicule) are triangular, very short. Gametogenesis within oblong cysts.
Three genera:
Genus Acanthocolla
Genus Acanthocyrtha
Genus Acanthospira