Psammocleidochasma, Winston, Judith E. & Vieira, Leandro M., 2013

Winston, Judith E. & Vieira, Leandro M., 2013, Systematics of interstitial encrusting bryozoans from southeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 3710 (2), pp. 101-146 : 132-133

Genus Psammocleidochasma gen. nov.

Type species. Psammocleidochasma tridentatum sp. nov.

Etymology. From the Greek, psammos, sand.

Diagnosis. ‘ Cleidochasma -like’, but sand-emcrusting and having a relatively smaller size of colony and autozooids, a tatiform ancestrula, no avicularia, uniserial to pluriserial growth, and thickened calcification of ovicells, as well as a raised peristome with 3–4 projecting solid tubercles arranged distally and laterally on its rim. Ooecium imperforate with semicircular frontal area.

Remarks. Recent revisions of species originally placed in the the genus Cleidodochasma have led to the discovery that at least two groups of species, belonging to different families, are involved (Soule et al. 1991; Cook & Bock 1996). The two sand-dwelling species attributed to this genus, Psammocleidochasma tridentatum sp. nov. from Brazil and Psammocleidochasma angustum (Winston & Håkansson, 1986) comb. nov. from Florida are distinctive in habitat and morphology and appear to belong with encrusting genera such as Plesiocleidochasma Soule, Soule & Channey, 1991 (= Schedocleidochasma Soule, Soule & Channey, 1991 ; see Berning 2012) and relatives, now placed in the Phidolophoridae. Owing to their distinctive suite of characters we have placed the two sand-dwelling forms in the new genus.