Colatooecia serrulata ( Smitt, 1873 )

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 : 6

Colatooecia serrulata ( Smitt, 1873)

( Fig. 2 , Table 1 )

Porina serrulata Smitt, 1873: 27 , pl. 5, figs 116–125. [W of Tortugas and Florida]

Cigclisula serrulata: Canu & Bassler 1928a: 125 , pl. 20, figs 1–14, text-fig. 24. [Fowey Light, Miami, Florida]

Spiroporina ? serrulata: Cheetham & Sandberg 1964: 1027 , text-figs 26–27. [Gulf of Mexico]

Colatooecia serrulata: Winston 2005: 93 , figs 257–261. [W of Tortugas and Florida]

Material examined. USNM 7476, Cigclisula serrulata, F. Canu & R.S. Bassler det., 1928a, Fowey Light, 15 miles (24.1 km) South of Miami, Florida.

Description. Colony erect, bilaminar, branching. Zooids hexagonal at growing edge, becoming irregular with development, longer than wide, limited by slightly raised walls. Frontal shield heavily calcified, with 22–36 regularly spaced pseudopores. Primary orifice small relative to frontal shield, almost rounded, wider than long, lacking condyles. Secondary orifice subcircular, with smooth peristome that becomes embedded in frontal surface with colony development. Often 1, rarely 2, rounded adventitious avicularia placed at zooidal margins near primary orifice and sometimes at proximal border of ectooecium. Frontal avicularia with large rostrum, rectangular, longer than wide, with rounded proximal and straight distal edge; calcified palate occupies half rostral length; opesia trifoliate proximally, quadrangular distally. Interzooidal avicularia placed at margins of colony, as long as zooids, rostrum straight, spatulate, longer than wide, proximal edge rounded and distal edge deep, concave; calcified palate occupies more than half rostral length, its foramen somewhat trifoliate owing to a ligula; avicularian opesia smaller, quadrangular. Ooecium immersed; ectooecium with central membranous area; entooecium bridged by sieve of delicate costae that interdigitate at mid-point of ooecium.

Remarks. Colatooecia is monotypic. The type species Colatooecia serrulata was previously included in Porina ( Smitt 1873) , Cigclisula (Canu & Bassler 1928) and, doubtfully, Spiroporina ( Cheetham & Sandberg 1964) (see Winston 2005). Cheetham & Sandberg (1964) pointed out that the species could not be placed easily in any known genus; Winston (2005) introduced Colatooecia for it based on the appearance of the frontal calcification and the distinctive costate ooecium.

The combination of a spiramen, thick porous frontal calcification, ectooecium with an elongate membranous area, two rows of tiny entooecial costae and rectangular frontal avicularia with distal trifoliate and proximal quadrate openings in C. serrulata is unique in the family.

Distribution. Northwestern Atlantic: Cape Hatteras to Florida and Gulf of Mexico ( Winston 2005).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Colatooecia serrulata (Smitt, 1873). A–D, USNM 7476, Florida. A, erect bilaminar colony. B, ovicelled zooids. C, close-up of ovicelled zooids and rectangular frontal avicularia. D, close-up of shoe-shaped interzooidal avicularium. Scale bars: A, B = 500 µm; C, D = 200 µm.