Adeonella distenta Hayward, 1988

Amui, Ann-Margret, 2005, Adeonellas from the Gulf of Aden including one new species, Zootaxa 1012 (1), pp. 45-52 : 48

Adeonella distenta Hayward, 1988

Figure 2, 1–2

Adeonella distenta Hayward, 1988: 180–181 , fig. 27

Specimen examined: Bab­el­Mandeb; 12° 43.7’N’ 43° 15.0’E; 228–235m, 05.03.1987, Meteor Station Me 5 230 Ku, SMF 1907 .

Distribution: Gulf of Aden

Description: Colony 5 x 1.5 mm. Autozooids very distinctive: large, broad, rounded distally; frontal wall granulated, with numerous small pores. Primary orifice is assumed to be semicircular, obscured in early ontogeny by narrow, spout­like peristome with transversely oval secondary orifice (0.10–0.11 x 0.07–0.08mm); spiramen (0.03–0.05 x 0.03–0.05mm) round, somewhat depressed, situated close to secondary orifice. Peristomial avicularium single, situated disto­lateral to spiramen, directed obliquely medially between spiramen and secondary orifice to opposite proximal edge of peristome; elongate, sharply pointed.

Remarks: This is the second occurence of A. distenta . The holotype is originated the Gulf of Aden from a depth of 274– 366m. This specimen is from the same region at a similar depth, the upper mesopelagic zone. Hayward (1988) already suggests that A. distenta lives at greater depths than most species of Adeonella .

Polymorphism in this species is so far unknown and could not be observed in this specimen neither.