Callodictyon infundibulum
Zittel 1877
The specimen of Callodictyon infundibulum shown here was collected in the Lower Campanian of Höver. Callodictyon infundibulum was reported by Schrammen (1912) as a very rare species from Oberg and Misburg.
The present specimen consists of a simple conical thin walled (1 mm) funnel which is filled with debris from other sponges. Conspicuous growth rings are visible.
The skeleton is constructed from Lychnisks, which are joined together in longitudinal, radial and tangential directions to form a highly regular meshwork of cubic meshes. The beams of the dermal lychnisks are reinforced by a thick silica mantle and thus form small (0.3 mm), irregular shaped pore openings on the underlying skeletal meshes. However, every other mesh is filled with a silica mantled "window cross" (stauractine) and is thus closed. The open and closed pores form an in quincunx pattern or are disposed more or less randomly. - The gastral surface is not exposed.