Cigclisula porosa (Canu & Bassler, 1930)

Almeida, Ana C. S., Souza, Facelucia B. C., Menegola, Carla M. S., Sanner, Joann & Vieira, Leandro M., 2014, Taxonomic review of the family Colatooeciidae Winston, 2005 (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata), with description of seven new species, Zootaxa 3868 (1), pp. 1-61 : 19-20

Cigclisula porosa (Canu & Bassler, 1930)

( Fig. 10 , Table 2 )

Holoporella porosa Canu & Bassler 1930a: 39 , pl. 6, figs. 7–8. [Galápagos Islands]

Trematooecia porosa: Osburn, 1952: 503 , pl. 60, figs. 8–9. [Gulf of California and Galápagos Islands ]

Material examined. Holotype: USNM 8514 , Holoporella porosa F. Canu & R. Bassler det., 1930a, Galápagos Islands , Albatross Station, D. 2815, 61 m.

Description. Colony encrusting, uni- to multilaminar. Zooids hexagonal, becoming polygonal with growth, longer than wide, delimited by distinct grooves. Frontal shield heavily calcified, uniformly punctured by 20–50 pseudopores, minutely granular. Primary orifice large relative to frontal shield, centered, somewhat hoof-shaped, mostly as long as wide, sunken, with arch-shaped anter and concave poster, separated by 2 proximolateral downcurved condyles. Secondary orifice non-tubercular, slightly raised, surrounded by pseudopores. Frontal avicularia small, elliptical, often single (rarely 2 per zooid), placed at zooidal margins. Ooecium subglobose, minutely granular, inclined toward zooid surface; ectooecium with longitudinal band of 33–48 irregular pseudopores.

Remarks. Cigclisula porosa was described by Canu & Bassler (1930a) in the same publication as Trematooecia hexagonalis (Canu & Bassler, 1930) . While the ectooecium of C. porosa was described as pseudoporous, Canu & Bassler (1930a) did not recognize ooecia in the holotype of T. hexagonalis , but some authors ( Osburn 1952; Soule 1961; Soule & Soule 1964) described the ectooecium of this species as pseudoporous, designating these specimens as T. hexagonalis . Examination of the holotype of T. hexagonalis , however, revealed that the ectooecium has single median membranous area (see remarks under T. hexagonalis ) contrasting with an irregularly pseudoporous ectooecium, which is distinct in C. porosa . Besides the ectooecium and tubercles, other differences between these two species include the diameter of frontal pseudopores, larger in C. porosa (0.015 –0.032 mm) than in T. hexagonalis (0.010 –0.018 mm), and the size of frontal avicularia, larger in C. porosa (0.068 –0.082 mm long, 0.070 –0.075 mm wide) than in T. hexagonalis (0.028 –0.045 mm long, 0.028 –0.039 mm wide). Specimens previously reported as T. hexagonalis from the Pacific ( Osburn 1952; Soule 1961; Soule & Soule 1964) are here reassigned to Cigclisula osburni n. sp. (see below).

Cigclisula porosa is characterized by encrusting colonies with the zooidal frontal shield uniformly punctured by 20–50 pseudopores, primary orifice almost rounded with distolateral condyles, secondary orifice nontubercular, elliptical frontal avicularia and ectooecium with 33–48 irregular pseudopores. This species resembles C. areolata in having encrusting colonies, a uniformly punctured frontal shield and non-tubercular secondary orifice, but differs in the the hoof-shaped primary orifice (transversely D-shaped in C. areolata ) and in the absence of suboral and interzooidal avicularia (present in C. areolata ).

Distribution. Pacific: Gulf of California and Galápagos Islands.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Cigclisula porosa (Canu & Bassler, 1930). A–F, USNM 8514, holotype, Galápagos Islands. A, part of encrusting colony. B, group of zooids. C, primary orifice. D, unusually narrow primary orifice. E, F, ovicelled zooids and elliptical frontal avicularia. Scale bars: A = 500 µm; B = 200 µm; C, D = 100 µm; E, F = 200 µm.