Cradoscrupocellaria aegyptiana, VIEIRA & JONES & WINSTON, 2013

VIEIRA, LEANDRO M., JONES, MARY E. SPENCER & WINSTON, JUDITH E., 2013, <p class = " HeadingRunIn " align = " left "> <strong> <em> Cradoscrupocellaria </ em>, a new bryozoan genus for <em> Scrupocellaria bertholletii </ em> (Audouin) and related species (Cheilostomata, Candidae): taxonomy, biodiversity and distribution </ strong> </ p>, Zootaxa 3707 (1), pp. 1-63 : 45-47

Cradoscrupocellaria aegyptiana n. sp.

( Fig. 23 , Table 5)

Scrupocellaria reptans (Linnaeus) : O’Donoghue & de Watteville 1939: 17. [ Egypt]

Not Sertularia reptans Linnaeus, 1758, p. 815 . [No Locality, but possibly British Isles] Material examined. Holotype. NHMUK 1963.8.2.16 ( Fig. 23 ), Scrupocellaria reptans, C.H. O’Donoghue det., C.H. O’Donoghue Collection, 17–20 fms (31–37 m), Alexandria, Egypt, Stations 7, 66.

Type locality. Alexandria, Egypt .

Etymology. The specific name aegyptiana refers to the Latin name of the locality ( Egypt).

Diagnosis. Chitinous joints passing across gymnocyst below opesia in zooids C and D at bifurcation; zooids with 2 inner and 3–4 outer distal spines; scutum stout and flattened, branched 3 times, overarching most of frontal membrane; no distolateral avicularia; frontal avicularia monomorphic, large, with rostrum directed forward and to midline of branches; ovicells with rounded pseudopores linked by internal sutures.

Description. Colony erect, branched, fan-shaped, branches comprising 5–13 zooids. Internodes almost straight, with adjacent zooids positioned slightly back to back in alternating series; chitinous joints passing across gymnocyst and below opesia of outer zooids at bifurcation (zooids C and D), and across proximal end of inner zooids (F and G). Autozooids almost cylindrical, slightly narrower proximally than distally, with slightly curved outline in basal view. Oval opesia occupying three fifths of zooidal length; cryptocyst smooth, very narrow, forming a deep strip around opesia. Scutum large, stout, flattened, branched three times, inserted at midline of inner edge of opesia, almost entirely covering frontal membrane. Distal spines short, unbranched; 2 inner and 3–4 outer; distalmost outer and inner spines smaller than proximal ones; proximalmost spines directed forward; axial zooid with 6 spines. Lateral avicularia absent. Frontal avicularia monomorphic, very large, 0.152 –0.185 mm long, with acute mandible, serrated laterally with hooked tip, with one side slightly down-curved; mandible long, hooked distally, directed forward to the inner side of the internode and forming right angle with adjacent zooid of branch. Vibracular chamber slightly lateral on basal surface of each zooid, sometimes conspicuous in frontal view; chamber of vibraculum almost trapezoidal, with large proximal rhizoidal foramen; setal groove transverse to internode axis, straight, with smooth seta longer than one autozooid. Single axial vibraculum without rhizoidal foramen. Rhizoids tubular and smooth. Ovicells subglobular; ectooecium perforated by 12–22 rounded pores linked by radial sutures; ovicelled zooids with 2 inner and 2–3 outer spines.

Remarks. Among NHMUK specimens assigned to Scrupocellaria reptans was a robust fan-shaped colony from Alexandria identified by O’Donoghue and de Watteville (1939), here assigned to Cradoscrupocellaria aegyptiana n. sp. This colony resembles C. reptans and C. ellisi in the shape of zooids and frontal scuta, but C. aegyptiana n. sp. is distinguished by the absence of lateral avicularia, the presence of monomorphic frontal avicularia with a longer rostrum and zooids often having four outer distal spines.

Distribution. Mediterranean: Egypt (Alexandria); 31– 40 m.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Cradoscrupocellaria aegyptiana n. sp. A–F, NHMUK 1963.8.2.16, holotype, Alexandria, Egypt. A, Frontal surface of colony. B, Frontal surface of branch bifurcation; note the joints passing across the gymnocyst in both outer zooids at the bifurcation. C, Close-up of branches; note the gigantic frontal avicularia and two ovicelled zooids. D, Close-up of gigantic frontal avicularium. E, Abfrontal surface of colony. F, Abfrontal surface of branch bifurcation.