Errinopsis fenestrata Cairns, 1983

Cairns, Stephen D. & Zibrowius, Helmut, 2013, Stylasteridae (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Filifera) from South Africa, Zootaxa 3691 (1), pp. 1-57 : 18-19

Errinopsis fenestrata Cairns, 1983

Figs. 9 A–I, 22

Errinopsis fenestrata Cairns, 1983a: 80 –82, figs. 1I, 10A–G; 1983b: 428 (listed).—Cairns & MacIntyre, 1992: 98–99 (mineralogy).—Cairns, 2011: fig. 7A.

Types and Type Locality. The type series is deposited primarily at the NMNH, with vouchers also at the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre and BM (see Cairns 1983a). Type Locality: 59°49.4’S, 68°51.7’W (seamount in Drake Passage), 280– 340 m.

Material Examined. PF 13479, 1 colony, exSAM2817; 32°27.2’S, 28°55.9’E, 250 m, coll. William Rune Liltved, 12 July 1984, 1 colony and SEM stub 1672 (USNM 1189354); RV Seidlecki 601, 53°20’S, 42°42’W, 417– 514 m, 1 colony, USNM 83591; type material.

Diagnosis. Colonies uniplanar and small (less than 11 mm in height), not yet forming anastomosing branchlets; branchlets rectangular in cross section, the longer axis perpendicular to plane of colony; coenosteal modification caused by commensal polychaete present. Coenosteal texture linear-granular ( Fig. 9 C–E), the strips being 52–90 µm in width and fairly smooth, covered with small (6 µm) sparse granules; coenosteum around and composing dactylopore spines imbricate ( Fig. 9 F); coenosteum light orange. Gastropores round (0.21–0.23 mm in diameter), occurring on anterior face and at branch axils; gastropore tubes cylindrical, without a ring palisade; gastropores bordered with a wide abcauline lip ( Fig. 9 B), which usually bears several dactylopore spines. Gastrostyle base thick and finely ornamented, capped by a coarsely ridged apical tip. Dactylopore spines dimorphic, one type consisting of short apically perforate cones ( Figs. 9 C, E), the pore being 27–33 µm in diameter, the second type being taller (up to 0.25 mm), slender (0.11–0.13 mm), cylindrical projections ( Fig. 9 D, F), usually with an pore or slit on its lower side, but not horseshoe-shaped as in Errina . Ampullae (?female) superficial and spiny due to coverage with dactylopore spines.

Remarks. Only a diagnosis is given above, as there is a complete description and illustrations in the original account. The South African specimens differ from the type material in two aspects: because the specimens are quite small (less than 11 mm tall), they have not yet developed a fenestrate colony form. Secondly, the South African specimens are light orange, not white as the type material.

Distribution. South Africa: known only from region near East London, Eastern Cape Province (Fig. 22), 174– 250 m; Drake Passage and off Shag Rocks, 280– 514 m.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Errinopsis fenestrata from PF 13479: A, stereo view of branch tips showing dactylopore spines. B, stereo view of prominent lower gastropore lip. C – D, dactylopore spines and linear-granular coenosteal texture. E, short conical dactylopore spine. F, taller dactylopore spine with slit-like dactylotome. G, stereo view of branch tip and gastrostyle tip. H, gastrostyle tip viewed from above. I, coenosteal texture (? ampullae).