Bryozoa of Floridan Oculina reefs
Author
Judith L Winston
text
Zootaxa
2016
4071
1
1
81
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4071.1.1
8ffe5a88-06f7-44af-95aa-5fd49e0302c4
1175-5326
260490
D47C792F-E91D-40A6-ABB7-FA7810578562
Microporella acicularis
sp. nov.
(
Fig. 32
;
Table 31
)
TABLE 31.
Measurements in mm of
Microporella acicularis
sp. nov.
|
Lz
|
Wz
|
Lo
|
Wo
|
Lov
|
Wov
|
Lavm
|
Wavm
|
Lav
|
Wav
|
| N |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
8 |
9 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| Mean |
0.543 |
0.387 |
0.080 |
0.100 |
0.221 |
0.290 |
0.303 |
0.056 |
0.089 |
0.057 |
| SD |
0.043 |
0.058 |
0.009 |
0.008 |
0.023 |
0.019 |
0.048 |
0.009 |
0.004 |
0.007 |
| Min |
0.450 |
0.324 |
0.072 |
0.090 |
0.198 |
0.270 |
0.252 |
0.045 |
0.081 |
0.054 |
| Max |
0.612 |
0.540 |
0.090 |
0.108 |
0.270 |
0.324 |
0.360 |
0.072 |
0.090 |
0.072 |
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