Revision of the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the genera Herentia and Therenia (Bryozoa: Cheilostomata)
Author
Berning, Björn
Author
Tilbrook, Kevin J.
Author
Rosso, Antonietta
text
Journal of Natural History
2008
J. Nat. Hist.
2008-06-30
42
21 - 22
1509
1547
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930802109140
journal article
10.1080/00222930802109140
1464-5262
5219374
2B6D5D3B-8F6D-4F0C-A377-784C4CBCF7E2
Therenia peristomata
new species
(
Figure 7
)
Escharina hyndmanni
:
Norman 1909
, part: p. 302.
Differential diagnosis
This species differs from all other species in having a less densely perforated and slightly convex frontal wall, condyles that are more or less parallel to the proximal orifice margin and that do not extend beyond the shoulders of the sinus, and an avicularian crossbar with a thick, central, proximomedially directed columella.
Although
T. porosa
also has a peristome that encircles the entire orifice, it is rather flared and the exposed ooecium frontal is distinctly broader in
T. peristomata
. In contrast to
T. cryptooecium
, this species has a smaller primary orifice and especially aperture, while the ooecium is clearly visible at the colony surface. Primary orifice, aperture and avicularia are distinctly smaller in
T. peristomata
than in
T. rosei
.
Figure 7.
Therenia peristomata
n. sp.
Holotype, NHM 2007.10.9.3, off Madeira. (A) General aspect of zooecia at the colony growth margin; (B) early astogenetic zooecia showing a rather flared peristome; note that the ancestrula has been covered by the lowermost zooecia; (C) close-up of autozooecium orifice and avicularium; (D) ovicellate zooecium; note slight differences in condyle morphology to orifice of autozooecium. Scale bars 200 mm (A, B); 50 mm (C, D).
Etymology
For its flaring peristome, which is especially well developed in early astogenetic autozooecia.
Material examined
Holotype
: NHM
2007.10.9.
3, off
Madeira
,
75–90 m
, on shell
.
Paratype
: NHM
2007.10.9.
4, off
Madeira
,
75–90 m
, on shell
.
Additional material: NHM
1911.10.1.
1203, off
Madeira
,
75–90 m
, eight colonies on shells
.
Measurements
ZL 632¡39, 567–718 (1, 19); ZW 535¡72, 437–651 (1, 19); OL 112¡7, 99–125 (1, 20); OW 132¡7, 114–143 (1, 20); ApL 119¡6, 103–125 (1, 12); ApW 149¡6, 140– 160 (1, 12); OvL 200¡16, 175–228 (1, 11); OvW 356¡23, 314–389 (1, 11); AL 133¡11, 118–152 (1, 20); AW 103¡11, 88–128 (1, 20); PD 7¡1, 5–9 (1, 15).
Description
Colony encrusting unilaminar, multiserial. Zooecia rhomboid, hexagonal or polygonal, separated by deep grooves; vertical walls with two small round communication pores per neighbouring zooid; frontal wall flat or slightly convex centrally, sloping towards zooecium margins, very finely granular, perforated by numerous small pseudopores and up to four larger but indistinct marginal pores. Orifice dimorphic, horseshoe-shaped, distolateral margin with a relatively broad immersed shelf; primary orifice in autozooecium slightly broader than long and widest at about mid-distance, proximal border slightly upturned and sloping towards sinus, which is shallow, widely U-shaped with rounded edges, and occupying little less than one-third of proximal margin, condyles as long as proximal orifice margin, narrowing and sloping at an increasing angle towards sinus; aperture in ovicellate zooecia slightly wider than in autozooecia, proximal border rather straight and slightly upturned, sinus shallow and distinctly U-shaped, comprising about one-fifth of proximal margin, condyles very narrow, sloping at an extremely acute but increasing angle towards sinus. Autozooecium orifice encircled by an orbicular and flared peristome, the relatively thin and low proximal wall rising and thickening distally, steeply sloping towards orifice; peristome in ovicellate zooecia reduced to a low and relatively thin proximal rim leading towards proximolateral ooecium edges.
Ooecium initially hemispherical, becoming largely immersed by frontal wall of distal zooecium and only slightly emerging from frontal plane; exposed frontal surface a curved, smooth, thickened rim sloping proximally.
Avicularium situated directly proximolateral to orifice and usually abutting the peristome on either left or right side, pseudoporous cystid level and continuous with frontal shield of zooecium; rostrum an orbicular to oval, broad, sloping band, laterally or distolaterally oriented, proximal opesium partly bounded by a very narrow, sickle-shaped, proximal shelf; crossbar thick and extending fairly deep into cystid, slightly curved and twisted along its axis, with a broad, thick, rounded and proximomedially directing columella.
An ancestrula was not observed, early astogenetic budding pattern may be similar to
Herentia
but periancestrular growth was disturbed and zooids were damaged in the only colony obtained.
Remarks
The original sample (NHM 1911.10.1.1203) contained specimens of both
Therenia peristomata
and
H. andreasi
, which
Norman (1909)
all identified as
H. hyndmanni
. Ironically, he did not notice the porous frontal wall in this species and instead considered the imperforate specimens as a curious variety of
H. hyndmanni
. Whether the species
Cook (1968
, p. 195) reported as
Escharina porosa
to occur at
Madeira
is, in fact,
T. peristomata
cannot be pursued at present because she neither figured nor described the specimens.
This species is remarkable in that it is the only one that has a rather convex frontal shield, indistinct condyles and an avicularian crossbar with a columella. These features make
T. peristomata
fairly distinct from the other species. On the other hand, the peristome, which entirely encircles the orifice, is also found in
T. porosa
, while the broad and slightly raised ooecium frontal is similar to that in
T. rosei
.
The only specimen with the periancestrular region preserved was unfortunately damaged during early astogeny (
Figure 7B
). Some proximal zooecia are overgrown or irregularly shaped, which makes it difficult to infer the early astogenetic budding pattern. However, the two 90
°
changes in growth polarity during early astogeny are shared with
Herentia
(see
Figure 1B
).
As
it has not been reported from any other region,
T. peristomata
seems to be geographically restricted to the archipelago of
Madeira
.
The
specimens were obtained from
75–90 m
and encrust bivalve shells and other calcareous substrata
.