Microporella acicularis Winston, 2016, sp. nov

Main Author: Judith L Winston
Format: info publication-taxonomictreatment Journal
Terbitan: , 2016
Subjects:
Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6084826
Daftar Isi:
  • Microporella acicularis sp. nov. (Fig. 32; Table 31) Material examined. Holotyp e: VMNH no. 70646. Paratype: USNM no. 1283256. Additional material: VMNH no. 70647. Etymology. Latin, acicularis, needle-like, alluding to the long needle-like avicularian mandibles. Diagnosis. Microporella species with 4–5 orificial spines, a semicircular ascopore just proximal to orifice, and paired avicularia with needle-like mandibles that can be as long as zooids when intact and oriented distally to slightly distolaterally. Description. Colony encrusting (Fig. 32 A). Zooids oval to rhombic, frontal shield convex, with surface texture of closely spaced hemispherical bumps, with small pores between them. Primary orifice subcircular, but with straight or slightly concave proximal margin, and two low condyles on either side (Fig. 32 E, F). Distal oral spines typically 5, hollow. Peristome low, textured like frontal shield. Ascopore toothed, semicircular, located medially close to proximal margin of orifice. Avicularia triangular, mostly paired, with complete crossbars and channeled rostral tips (Fig. 32 C), positioned subjacent to orfice on both sides at level of ascopore, oriented almost distally at angle c. 70–80 °. Mandibles long, thin, acute (Fig. 32 C, D), as long as autozooids when unbroken. Ooecium globular, textured like frontal shield, terminating proximally near proximal edge of orifice, not forming bridge across it. Remarks. Microporella ampla Canu & Bassler, 1928 a is similar in having a convex pebbly frontal shield, an ascopore close to the proximal margin of the orifice, paired near-distal avicularia and five orificial spines. However, M. ampla zooids are considerably larger, being 0.70–0.74 mm long by 0.50 mm wide according to Canu & Bassler’s description, have a round ascopore, and any slight deviation of the avicularia direction is toward the orifice, whereas in M. acicularis the tilt is slightly lateral. Distribution. Atlantic Florida shelf, Oculina reefs
  • Published as part of Judith L Winston, 2016, Bryozoa of Floridan Oculina reefs, pp. 1-81 in Zootaxa 4071 (1) on page 59, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4071.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/260490