Reteporella gigantea ( Busk, 1884 )

Branch, M. L. & Hayward, P. J., 2005, New species of cheilostomatous Bryozoa from subantarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands, Journal of Natural History 39 (29), pp. 2671-2704 : 2700-2702

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222930500124664

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03938784-FFEA-4432-FE22-FC2BFD0BFDD7

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Reteporella gigantea ( Busk, 1884 )
status

 

Reteporella gigantea ( Busk, 1884) View in CoL

( Figure 13 View Figure 13 A–G) Retepora gigantea Busk 1884, p 114 , Plate 26, Figure 7 View Figure 7 .

Material

St. 37 Marion Island (46 ° 41 9 S, 38 ° 01 9 E), 360–376 m, SAM A27526 View Materials GoogleMaps ; St. 45 Marion Island (47 ° 00 9 S, 37 ° 55 9 E), 420–540 m, SAM A27493 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Description

Colony forms large, erect, reticulate lacy fans, to 30 mm high, with horizontal spread of at least 30 mm. Branches (trabeculae) 0.8–1.2 mm in diameter, fusing at regular intervals, leaving diamond-shaped to oval spaces (fenestrulae) between them, usually 3–4.5 mm long and 0.9–1.7 mm wide. Autozooids in two to three alternating, longitudinal series (four prior to trabecular division), opening on one surface, elongate, separated by clear, raised sutures, 0.5–0.9X 0.35–0.5 mm. Primary orifice circular, obscured in early ontogeny by a low, thick-rimmed peristome, enclosing a small medio-proximal avicularium with a finely denticulate, semicircular rostrum, adjacent to a small, round pseudospiramen. No oral spines apparent. Frontal shield granular, with a few (less than six) large pores scattered on the surface. One or two small, frontal adventitious avicularia present on each autozooid, with semicircular rostrum. Irregularly shaped kenozooids sporadically present between the autozooids, particularly adjacent to trabecular fusion/anastomosis; each bearing one or two adventitious avicularia. Ovicell hyperstomial, partly obscured by a granular ooecial cover; with a narrow, straight frontal fissure.

Remarks

Reteporella gigantea View in CoL was described by Busk (1884) from Possession Island (46 ° 47 9 S, 51 ° 37 9 E) and has not been reported again since. It is particularly characterized by its large, broadly open, fan-like colony form, by the small pseudospiramen set close to the proximal rim of the peristome, and by its small adventitious avicularia, occurring singly within the peristome, and elsewhere on the frontal shield. Busk (1884) noted a second type of avicularium, with a slender, acuminate mandible, sparsely present in his material, but none were noted in the Marion Island specimens.

SAM

South African Museum

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