Systematics of some calloporid and lacernid Cheilostomata (Bryozoa) from coastal South Korean waters, with the description of new taxa
Author
Min, Bum Sik
Author
Seo, Ji Eun
Author
Grischenko, Andrei V.
Author
Lee, Sang-Kyu
Author
Gordon, Dennis P.
text
Zootaxa
2017
4226
4
471
486
journal article
37250
10.11646/zootaxa.4226.4.2
0a944aa0-a00e-4de7-aacc-6b2a8c64435c
1175-5326
265083
758449A2-1B82-45E2-B6C4-8D83354C6CA7
Woosukia
n. gen.
Type species.
Schizoporella subhexagona
Ortmann, 1890
, by monotypy.
Etymology.
Honorific for Woosuk University, Jeonju and Jincheon, the center of bryozoology in
South Korea
.
Diagnosis.
Colony encrusting, unilaminar. Zooids contiguous, with densely pseudoporous frontal shields and dimorphic orifices. Autozooidal orifice with sinus and thin ledge-like condyles, no oral spines. No avicularia. Female zoooids and orifices of different form; ooecium large, ectooecium membranous, endooecium densely perforated by variably shaped pseudopores, peripheral ones tending to be larger or even radially linear; orifice cleithral, broad with shallow sinus. Maternal zooid with frontal shield like that of autozooid.
Remarks.
Harmer (1957)
was the first to attribute
S. subhexagona
to
Schizobrachiella
Canu & Bassler, 1920
but it is clear that
Schizobrachiella sanguinea
(
Norman, 1868
)
is not congeneric. It has avicularia, orifices are not dimorphic and the ooecium is typical of
Schizoporellidae
.
It is possible that
Veleroa
Osburn,
1952
may be related. The genus is monotypic, based
on
Veleroa veleronis
Osburn, 1952
from
9–57 m
off southern
California and Baja
California
. The species has not been reported since and ovicells were not present in the few samples obtained by
Robertson (1908)
(as
Schizoporella areolata
[
non
]
Busk, 1854
) and
Osburn (1952)
. Nevertheless, the characters of the autozooid and orifice are, judging by published descriptions and illustrations, similar to those of
Woosukia
n. gen.
Avicularia and oral spines are also lacking. On the other hand, whereas the pseudopores in the three
Woosukia
species (one named, two undescribed—see below) are all more or less the same size within each species, those in
V. veleronis
have a range of sizes, some relatively large. [At least this is as illustrated by
Osburn (1952)
. Although he included Robertson’s (1908) record of ‘
S. areolata
’ in his synonymy, her illustration of zooids exhibiting the “adult condition” depicted pseudopores all the same size and an additional row of such pores distal to the orifice, which raises the question of conspecificity.] Minor differences notwithstanding, we cannot exclude the possibility that
Veleroa
has yet-undiscovered female zooids and ooecia and could be congeneric with
Woosukia
(and therefore a senior subjective synonym). The problem here, however, is the choice between waiting years to decades before information is obtained about reproduction in
V. veleronis
(internal brooding or ooecia?), and leaving three species in taxonomic limbo, or creating a new genus. We have chosen the latter option.