Benthic Foraminifera from the Capricorn Group, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Author
Mamo, Briony L.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4215
1
1
123
journal article
37169
10.11646/zootaxa.4215.1.1
0087fa4c-a4f0-45d9-a2de-d433d7885753
1175-5326
272923
B91D1782-C11A-4CDC-96B6-76104FEE51BD
Rudigaudryina
Cushman & McCulloch 1939
Rudigaudryina minor
(
Chapman 1902
)
(
Fig. 3
:18–20;
Fig. 4
:1–3)
1902
Haddonia minor
Chapman
, p. 384, pl. 36, figs 1–2.
1987
Haddonia minor
Chapman
; Baccaert, p. 11, pl. 3, fig. 5; pl. 4, figs
1–5. 2001
Rudigaudryina minor
(Chapman)
; Lobegeier, p. 285, pl. 3, figs
5–9. 2009
Rudigaudryina minor
(Chapman)
; Parker, p. 32, fig. 26a–c, 27a–f.
Description.
Rudigaudryina
is typified by an early triserial test stage (at least in microspheric forms) that becomes biserial and then in adult forms gains an irregular chamber arrangement with more inflated and broad final chambers (
Fig. 3
:18–20). Walls are finely arenaceous, firmly and smoothly cemented. Aperture is generally terminal or found near the base of the final chamber, rounded and occasionally with a slight lip (
Cushman & McCulloch 1939
;
Loeblich & Tappan 1987
;
Parker 2009
).
Rudigaudryina minor
(
Chapman 1902
)
is characterised as either a free (
Fig. 3
:18–20;
Fig. 4
:1–3) or an attached test by its earlier segments and a slight horse-shoe shaped aperture (
Fig. 4
:2).
Remarks.
These specimens were assigned to this species due to their initial triserial stage which becomes biserial, and often irregular and inflated chamber arrangement. Also, due to their sometimes attached, agglutinated test and slightly horse-shoe shaped terminal aperture.
The distribution of
R
.
minor
is circumtropical (
Funafuti
Tuvalu
,
Galapagos Islands
,
Bay of Jakarta
and the Great Barrier Reef—Parker 2009) and is reported as both a free and attached species to
Halimeda
algae and larger carbonate reef rubble. Due to this, the characteristic triserial stage of this species can be difficult to discern in some instances (
Parker 2009
).
Distribution within study area.
Rudigaudryina minor
was collected from all areas across both reef flat and lagoons in relatively low numbers (1–
14 specimens
per sample). It was most abundant in One Tree Lagoon 2 and along Transect 1, which runs along the boundary between the inner and outer reef flats at Heron Island.