Patinella, Gray, 1848

Liu, H., Liu, X. & Zágoršek, K., 2019, Cyclostome bryozoans from Qingdao, South Yellow Sea, China, Zootaxa 4603 (3), pp. 473-500 : 494-496

Patinella ? guanformis n. sp.

( Figs 54–58 )

lsid:zoobank.org:act: EF30433D-8345-4AE0-A734-284E3FF4B4FD

Diagnosis. Colony disc-shaped, encrusting, surrounded by the basal lamina. Autozooids arranged in rows, apertures in fascicles. Alveoli large and abundant, containing mural spines. Gonozooid tubular, forming prolongations between autozooidal fascicles; ooeciopore at the distal edge of a prolongation.

Holotype. Specimen MBM 284391 from Daheilan ( Figs 54–56 ).

Paratypes. Specimens MBM 284497 ( First Bathing Beach ), and MBM 284467 ( Jiaozhou Bay) .

Additional material. Two more colonies from samples MBM 194701 and MBM 0 92355 ( Jiaozhou Bay).

Etymology. Referring to the tubular shape of the gonozooid; from the Chinese ‘guan’ meaning ‘tube’ and the Latin suffix ‘-formis’ meaning ‘-like’.

Description. Colony disc-shaped, encrusting, surrounded by a well-developed, wide basal lamina (width of lamina up to 400 µm). Autozooids arranged in irregular radial rows, diverging from the centre to the outer margin of the colony. Apertures circular to rounded square (diameter 60–80 µm), arranged in fascicles of 3–5; mural spines numerous (up to seven spines in one autozooidal tube), short (ca. 6–8 µm), with distinct star-shaped tips. Kenozooids (alveoli) numerous, polygonal, often larger (diameter 80–100 µm) than autozooidal apertures and containing numerous mural spines; spines less numerous (each alveolus may contain 4–6 spines), but longer (ca. 10–12 µm) than those in the autozooidal tubes, with similar and distinct star-shaped tips. Gonozooid digitate, spreading from the centre of the colony to the margin, usually with 5–9 tubular prolongations (‘fingers’) between autozooidal rows; interior frontal walls strongly perforated by large pores (diameter up to 10 µm). Ooeciopore not observed. All gonozooids are incompletely developed on the end of each tubular prolongation, close to the margin of the colony. These openings are larger than apertures (150–200 µm long by 80–120 µm wide), without peristome and often with slightly damaged edges.

Remarks. One specimen we examined lacks a peripheral basal lamina and has less pronounced autozooidal fascicles, but the shape and arrangement of the gonozooid is the same as those in the described species. To avoid misinterpreting the features of this new species, we decided to include this specimen in the additional material and not list it with the paratypes.

Disporella novaehollandiae ( d’Orbigny, 1853) , as redescribed by Gordon & Taylor (2001, fig. 42), has a similar gonozooidal prolongation on the distal margin of the colony, but differs from Patinella ? guanformis n. sp. in having very extended central part of gonozooid. Discoporella fimbriata Busk, 1875 (p. 32, pl. 27) has a similarly shaped ooeciopore but the gonozooid is situated in the central part of the colony. Patinella radiata ( Audouin, 1826) has similar growth pattern and similar spines with star-shaped tips, but lacks gonozooidal prolongations on the distal margin of the colony.

The distinct features of P.? guanformis n. sp. are the arrangement of apertures in fascicles and the finger-like growth of the gonozooid, with tubular prolongations almost reaching the margins of the colony. The arrangement of autozooidal tubes, the perforation of the gonozooid and the extended basal lamina favour the assignment of this species to Patinella rather than to Disporella , given the differences between these two genera shown by Schäfer (1991). The type species of Patinella ( P. verrucaria described by Linnaeus (1758) as Madrepora ) has much smaller and less densely perforated gonozooid compared to the type species of Disporella ( D. hispida Gray, 1848 ). Patinella verrucaria has much more similar perforations to those observed in P.? guanformis n. sp. As we are unable to observe the interior surface of the gonozooid (which is the feature,distinguishing Lichenopora auctt (= Patinella ) and Disporella , according to Schäfer 1991), placement of this new species in Patinella remains uncertain.

Occurrence. Jiaozhou Bay, Daheilan and First Bathing Beach.

Figures

FIGURES 54–58. Patinella? guanformis n. sp. Daheilan. 54–57. Holotype MBM 284391. 54. Position of the gonozooid. 55. Digitate gonozooid with the ooeciopore on the edge of the prolongations. 56. Large alveoli with spines inside. 57. Details of the gonozooid with the large opening (arrowed). 58. Paratype MBM 284467, showing row of apertures with visible spines inside. Scale bars: 54, 55, 57, 58 = 100 µm; 56 = 10 µm.