Alternative spelling: Demospongia
Parent taxon: Porifera according to R. M. Finks et al. 2004
Sister taxa: Amorphofungia, Archaeocyatha, Calcarea, Caliculospongia, Clathrispongia, Coronacollina, Cotyliscus, Cribroscyphia, Cuneiphycus, Cupulochonia, Cyathophyscus, Cyclospongia, Dendrocoelia, Disjectoporidae, Drosdovia, Eocoryne, Glenodictyum, Heteractinida, Hexactinellida, Holocoelia, Leiofungia, Limnoretheles, Matthewcyathus, Megalelasma, Microcoryne, Mussooriella, Nabaviella, Nostrocyathus, Oligoplagia, Palaeoierea, Phymoraphinia, Polyactinellidae, Scyphia, Shitangspongia, Sinoflabrum, Solactiniella, Sparsispongia, Stromatofungia, Stromatoporoidea, Tragos, Trammeria
Subtaxa: Aplysinofibra, Astrophorida, Ceractinomorpha, Chaetetida, Choristida, Clavulina, Coniculospongia, Consinocodium, Dictyoceratida, Epipolasida, Ginkgospongia, Guadalupiida, Haplosclerida, Homoscleromorpha, Ichnospongia, Incrustospongia, Infexiostella, Janussenia, Karatubulus, Lithistida, Metschnikowia, Offella, Operculospongia, Paraaplysinofibria, Permosphincta, Poecilosclerida, Protohyalostelia, Protomonaxonida, Reniera, Riasanospongia, Sphaeriella, Tabasiidae, Tabulospongida, Tetractinomorpha, Trichospongia, Verongiida, Verticillitida
Ecology: stationary intermediate-level epifaunal suspension feeder