Cigclisula fissurata (Ortmann, 1890)

(Fig. 9, Table 2)

Porella fissurata Ortmann, 1890: 41, pl. 3, fig 14. [Japan]

? Porella fissurata: Livingstone 1926: 92, pl. 8, figs 5–7. [Australia]

Material examined. Syntypes: MZS 68.1 – 2, Porella fissurata, A. Ortmann det., collected 1882, Sagami Bay, Japan. Description. Colony erect, bilaminar, branching. Zooids hexagonal, longer than wide, limited by slightly raised lateral walls. Frontal shield heavily calcified, minutely tubercular, marginally punctured by 12–28 pseudopores. Primary orifice small relative to frontal shield, subelliptical, sunken. Secondary orifice raised, nontubercular, subcircular. Suboral avicularium elliptical, laterally placed, distally directed. Frontal and interzooidal avicularia absent. Ooecium subglobose, slightly prominent; ectooecium with longitudinal band of 2–5 irregular pseudopores.

Remarks. Owing to the presence of a suboral avicularium, this species was originally assigned to Porella . Species of Porella, however, have an imperforate ectooecium whereas that in C. fissurata has a longitudinal band of 2–5 irregular pseudopores. Thus, as suggested by Hastings (1932) and Harmer (1957), this species is better assigned to Cigclisula .

Cigclisula fissurata is distinguished from all congeners by the absence of frontal and interzooidal avicularia. Purported Porella fissurata from Australia (Livingstone 1926) requires reinvestigation.

Distribution. Pacific: Japan.