Cellaria oraneae, Almeida & Souza & Vieira, 2018

Almeida, Ana C. S., Souza, Facelúcia B. C. & Vieira, Leandro M., 2018, A new species of Cellaria (Bryozoa: Cheilostomata) from northeastern Brazil, with a tabular identification key to the Atlantic species, Zoologia (e 24571) 35, pp. 1-7 : 2-4

Cellaria oraneae sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ 12CFEE7B-49C3-499A-8DEF-9BE90977492F

Figs 2–7

Cellaria sp. 2 : Vieira et al. 2008: 21. [ Brazil: Bahia]

Cellaria sp. : Almeida et al. 2015a: 4. [ Brazil: Bahia]

Diagnosis. Cellaria with hexagonal autozooids, opesia semi-elliptical with distal rim tuberculate and slightly convex proximal rim with two rounded condyles; interzooidal avicularia hexagonal, with longitudinal ridges forming a spear-shaped area, with sagittate foramen and placed only between non-fertile zooids; fertile zooids rhomboid and ovicell completely immersed with oval aperture and a proximal rectangular lip.

Description. Colony erect, cylindrical, jointed, symmetrically bifurcating and attached at the base by chitinous rhizoids. Branches formed by 6–20 zooidal series, 0.353 –0.372 mm in diameter when formed only by infertile autozooids, but larger in regions of fertile zooids, about 0.544 –0.574 mm in diameter ( Fig. 2). Autozooids hexagonal in outline, about 0.358 –0.409 mm (0.395 ± 0.016) long and 0.164 –0.231 mm (0.211 ± 0.019) wide, limited by raised lateral walls, comprising a pair of longitudinal ridges extending from lateral walls forming a somewhat lanceolate area ( Fig. 3). Frontal wall with a sunken granular cryptocyst. Opesia semi-elliptical, about 0.056 –0.068 mm (0.62 ± 0.003) long and 0.072 –0.095 mm (0.085 ± 0.006) wide, distal rim tuberculate and arched, proximal rim smooth and slightly convex, two rounded denticles placed near proximal corners ( Fig. 4). Interzooidal avicularium sometimes present, about 0.340 –0.367 mm (0.354 ± 0.010) long and 0.186 –0.210 mm (0.198 ± 0.009) wide, with same cryptocystal calcification and longitudinal ridges as autozooids, forming a spear-shaped area; foramen sagittate, tapered distal edge, convex proximally, forming a broad lip, placed only between infertile zooids ( Fig. 5). Fertile zooids wider than autozooids, rhomboid in outline, about 0.316 –0.374 mm (0.355 ± 0.016) long and 0.200 – 0.320 mm (0.285 ± 0.038) wide; opesia semi-elliptical, about 0.050 –0.069 mm (0.60 ± 0.004) long and 0.078 –0.115 mm (0.103 ± 0.009) wide, same cryptocystal calcification and longitudinal ridges as autozooids ( Fig. 6). Ovicells completely immersed, aperture oval with a proximal rectangular lip ( Fig. 7).

Material examined. Holotype: BRAZIL, Bahia: Todos os Santos Bay (12°51’62”S, 38°39’78”W, 43 m), 1 specimen, April 1997, Orane Alves leg., UFBA 280 . Paratypes: BRAZIL, Bahia: Todos os Santos Bay (12°49’62”S, 38°37’38”W), 1 specimen, May 1997, Orane Alves leg., UFBA 2263 ; Salvador (12°58’79”S, 38°33’41”W, 50 m), 1 specimen, UFBA 2262 . Additional specimens: BRAZIL, Bahia: Abrolhos Bank (18°20’80”S, 38°55’97”W, 41 m), 10 specimens, April 1997, Zelinda Leão leg., UFBA 1446 ; Maraú ( Baixo Sul , 14°06’49”S, 38°57’31”W), 5 specimens, August 2004, LAMEB-UFBA leg., UFBA 2261 ; Cairú ( Baixo Sul , 13°27’01”S, 38°46’34”W, 48 m), 2 specimens, 2002, José Dominguez leg., UFBA 2260 ; Ituberá ( Baixo Sul , 13°44’02”S, 38°48’58”W, 47 m), 6 specimens, 2002, José Dominguez leg., UFBA 2259 ; Maraú ( Baixo Sul , 14°05’00”S, 38°53’55”W, 30 m), 6 specimens, 2002, José Dominguez leg., UFBA 2258 ; Itacaré ( Baixo Sul , 14°11’01”S, 38°58’59”W, 15 m), 8 specimens, 2002, José Dominguez leg., UFBA 2241 ; Camaçari (12°44’12”S, 38°05’12”W, 23 m), 4 specimens, 2002-2004, LAMEB-UFBA leg., UFBA 2257 ; Camaçari (12°50’00”S, 38°10’06”W, 37 m), 6 specimens, 2002-2006, LAMEB-UFBA leg., UFBA 2256 .

Distribution. Atlantic: Brazil (Bahia); infralittoral, from 15 to 50 m.

Etymology. The species epithet is in honor of Orane Alves (Universidade Federal da Bahia), in recognition of her contribution to the knowledge of Brazil’s marine biodiversity.

Remarks. Cellaria oraneae sp. nov. can be distinguished from all congeners by the combination of hexagonal autozooids and rhomboid fertile zooids, hexagonal interzooidal avicularia with longitudinal ridges forming a spear-shaped area and with sagittate foramen, ovicell completely immersed with aperture oval and a proximal rectangular lip. We analyzed 50 internodes of the new species, among which 30 were formed only by autozooids (infertile internodes) and 20 were fertile (with autozooids and ovicelled zooids). Avicularia were found in both fertile and infertile internodes, but no avicularia were found between fertile zooids. Therefore, we believe that interzooidal avicularia of C. oraneae sp. nov. are placed only between autozooids.

Among Cellaria species already recorded from the Atlantic Ocean, C. oraneae sp. nov. resembles C. riograndensis in having cryptocyst mostly granular, hexagonal interzooidal avicularia with longitudinal ridges forming a spear-shaped area, with no condyles and completely immersed ovicell. Cellaria oraneae sp. nov. can be distinguished from C. riograndensis by having autozooids hexagonal and fertile rhomboid zooids (in C. riograndensis , both autozooids and fertile zooids have the same shape), avicularia placed only between autozooids and with sagittate foramen (avicularia is placed between either autozooids and fertile zooids and with triangular foramen in C. riograndensis ), and ovicell aperture with a proximal rectangular lip (without lip in C. riograndensis ).

Among other Cellaria distributed worldwide, C. oranae sp. nov. resembles C. tenuirostris (Busk, 1852) in the hexagonal autozooids and rhomboid fertile zooids, granular cryptocyst, hexagonal interzooidal avicularia with longitudinal ridges forming a spear-shaped area and completely immersed ovicell. Cellaria oranae sp. nov. is distinct from C. tenuirostris , however, by having avicularium with sagittate foramen and no condyles ( C. tenuirostris have an avicularium with triangular foramen and well-developed condyles), avicularium placed only between autozooids (in C. tenuirostris avicularia are placed between either autozooids and fertile zooids), and ovicell aperture with a proximal rectangular lip (without lip in C. tenuirostris ).