Schizomavella (Schizomavella) linearis profunda Harmelin & d’Hondt, 1992a

Ramalho, Laís V., López-Fé, Carlos M., Mateo-Ramírez, Angel & Rueda, José Luis, 2020, Bryozoa from deep-sea habitats of the northern Gulf of Cádiz (Northeastern Atlantic), Zootaxa 4768 (4), pp. 451-478 : 468

Schizomavella (Schizomavella) linearis profunda Harmelin & d’Hondt, 1992a

( Figs 5C, D ; 6A )

Schizomavella linearis profunda Harmelin & d’Hondt, 1992a: 45 , pl. VI, figs A, B; Souto et al. 2014: 143, fig. 6D.

Material examined. MNCN 25.03 /4205: DA08, Gazul MV, 486–487 m depth, 24 June 2010 , INDEMARES CHI- CA Project, IEO coll., on shells; MNCN 25.03 /4206: BT03, Gazul MV, 460–462 m depth, 23 June 2010 , INDE- MARES CHICA Project, IEO coll., on MDACs; MNCN 25.03 /4207: BT06, Gazul MV, 422–450 m depth, 25 June 2010 , INDEMARES CHICA Project, IEO coll., on MDACs.

Remarks. Schizomavella (Schizomavella) linearis profunda described by Harmelin & d’Hondt (1992a) differs from S. (S.) linearis ( Hassall, 1841) in having 5–7 (more frequently 6) distal oral spines constantly in all zooids (in the typical form they disappear in older generations).

The colonies collected in the present study ( Fig. 5C ) were considered to belong to the subspecies profunda because of the number of oral spines ( Fig. 5D ). Other similarity is the shape of the avicularia which have a triangular rostrum transversely directed ( Figs 5D , 6A ). Nevertheless, the paired lateral oral avicularia are positioned more distally than in the holotype of the subspecies. This variability was also observed in the S. (S.) linearis profunda reported by Souto et al. (2014) from Portugal. A single zooid with a supernumerary avicularium associated with the ovicell ( Fig. 6A ) was observed in one colony of the present study; this avicularium, although rare, was considered, until now, typical only of the original form ( S. (S.) linearis ) ( Reverter-Gil & Fernández-Pulpeiro 1996).

Habitat and associated species. This species was associated with muddy-medium sandy sea bottoms with C. cidaris , F. chunii , sponges ( T. muricata ) and sea pens ( K. stelliferum and F. quadrangularis ), and fine sand with MDAC, M. oculata , L. phalangium and sponges ( Cladocroce spathiformis Topsent ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. A, B. Porella tenuis (Calvet, 1906) (MNCN 25.03/4204). A. General view of the abfrontal side of a branch fragment. B. Detail of the abfrontal side of a branch fragment showing some avicularia. C, D. Schizomavella (Schizomavella) linearis profunda Harmelin & d’Hondt, 1992 (MNCN 25.03/4205). C. General view of a colony with ovicellate and non-ovicellate zooids. D. Detail of the distal portion of a zooid showing the orifice, lateral avicularia and distal oral spines.

FIGURE 6. A. Schizomavella (Schizomavella) linearis profunda Harmelin & d’Hondt, 1992 (MNCN 25.03/4205), ovicellate zooid showing orifice, latero-oral avicularia, and a supernumerary avicularium (latero-distal to the ovicell). B–E. Microporella funbio Ramalho & López-Fé n. sp. (MNCN 25.03/4209). B. General view of part of the colony showing ovicellate and non-ovicellate zooids. C. Detail of a fragment showing an ovicellate zooid and some autozooids with distal oral spines, lateral avicularia and ascopore. D. close-up of the orifice with crenulate proximal border and oral spines. E. Detail of an ovicellate zooid bearing four oral spines.