Reteporellina evelinae Marcus, 1955

Ramalho, Laís V., Muricy, Guilherme & Taylor, Paul D., 2011, Taxonomic revision of some lepraliomorph cheilostome bryozoans (Bryozoa: Lepraliomorpha) from Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, Journal of Natural History 45 (13 - 14), pp. 767-798 : 785-787

Reteporellina evelinae Marcus, 1955

( Figure 8 )

Reteporellina evelinae Marcus 1955: 302 , figs 66–69; Barbosa 1964: 32.

Examined material

Arraial do Cabo : MNRJ-174, Forno Harbor (Cais do Anel), 7 September 2003, collected by L. V. Ramalho, depth 5 m. Reteporellina delicatula: NHM 1975.1.12.311, Chios, Greece ; NHM 87.12.9.465, Sandwich Island . Reteporellina idmoneoides: NHM 1862.2.4.22, eastern Australia .

Description

Colony erect, arborescent, branched, non-fenestrate, thickly calcified, reaching 1–1.5 cm high and 2 cm wide; coloured pale pink when alive but white when in alcohol ( Figure 8A ).

Branches with autozooids disposed in quincunx, forming three to four alternate series on the frontal sides of the branches ( Figure 8B ). Autozooids longer than wide (405 µm long, range 353–470 µm, by 170 µm wide, range 167–176 µm), frontally convex, delineated by salient walls; frontal wall with one or two asymmetric pseudopores located below median line or absent altogether ( Figure 8B–D ). Peristome approximately tubular, tall, frontally and laterally well developed ( Figure 8C,D ), a median fissure occurring on one side and one or two protuberances similar to thick teeth on the other side ( Figure 8E,F ). Ovicell globose (169 µm long, range 167–176 µm, by 137 µm, range 127–147 µm), smooth, sometimes embedded in frontal wall; a labellum and median fissure present, the fissure ontogenetically variable in length and shape ( Figure 8E,F ). Labellum and flanges of equal length, sometimes hidden by development of peristome. Ovicell often covered by secondary calcification, but ectooecium in frontal region left exposed ( Figure 8F ).

Avicularium inserted into peristome ( Figure 8E,F ), mandible triangular, bicuspidate; frontal avicularium absent. Dorsal avicularium located on some outer autozooids; chamber elevated, well-developed, teeth bending to form a hook; mandible triangular, unicuspidate.

Habitat

Colony found on artificial substratum (concrete) in a sheltered environment, 5 m deep.

Geographical distribution

In Brazil, this species is recorded south of Vitoria, Espírito Santo State ( Marcus 1955), and at Arraial do Cabo-Forno Harbour , Rio de Janeiro State (present study) .

Remarks

Most species of Reteporellina are known from the Indo-Pacific, except for R. delicatula Hayward, 1974 (Mediterranean) , R. marsupiata (Smitt, 1873) (West Atlantic) and R. evelinae Marcus, 1955 ( Brazil) . The Brazilian species differs from the others in the following features: R. delicatula has frontal avicularia and the internal border of the peristome is toothed; although R. marsupiata has a similar colour to R. evelinae , the peristome is less developed, frontal avicularia are elevated and the colony has a different shape.

In R. idmoneoides Harmer, 1934 the peristomial sinus is invisible externally, the ovicells are small, as are the dorsal avicularia, and the peristome does not form the protuberances found in R. evelinae . Reteporellina capistrata Harmer, 1934 has labial pores; R. laxipes ( Canu and Bassler, 1929) lacks avicularia; R. denticulata (Busk, 1884) has frontal and infra-fenestrae avicularia, flanges longer than the labellum, a chaliceshape colony, and less developed toothed peristome; and in R. bilabiata Osburn, 1952 the labial avicularium is absent, frontal avicularia are present, and frontal pseudopores more numerous.

In comparison with the material of R. evelinae described by Marcus (1955) from Espírito Santo State, the Rio de Janeiro specimen has a pale pink colour (vitreous in the Espírito Santo specimens). However, other characteristics agree with Marcus’s description, and the material is therefore considered to belong to R. evelinae .

This is the first record of R. evelinae from the Rio de Janeiro coast, extending its distribution along the Brazilian coast.

Figures

Figure 8. Reteporellina evelinae Marcus, 1955. (A) General view of the colony; (B) branch bifurcation; (C) autozooids with well-developed peristomes; (D) frontal view of the branch showing autozooidal arrangement; (E) fertile autozooids and tooth-like structures on on the peristomes; (F) peristomial avicularium. Scale bars: A: 5 mm; B: 500 µm; C, E: 100 µm; D: 200 µm; F: 50 µm. MNRJ-174.