A subclass of sponges that have a skeleton made of spongin (a protein fiber) rather than silica spicules, including bath sponges.
From Greek 'dictyon' (net/mesh) and 'keras' (horn), with the suffix '-ina' denoting a subclass in taxonomy. The name references the net-like arrangement of spongin fibers that form the skeleton of these sponges, which feel horny or fibrous rather than spiky.
Bath sponges belong to Dictyoceratina, and the Greek name 'dictyo-' (net) perfectly describes how their skeletons look under a microscope—a beautiful, interwoven network of flexible fibers instead of the sharp spicules found in other sponges.
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