Xenobrochus Cooper, 1981

Bitner, Maria Aleksandra & Logan, Alan, 2016, Recent Brachiopoda from the Mozambique-Madagascar area, western Indian Ocean, Zoosystema 38 (1), pp. 5-41 : 14-15

Genus Xenobrochus Cooper, 1981

TYPE SPECIES. — Gryphus africanus Cooper, 1973 , by original designation of Cooper (1981a: 19).

Xenobrochus africanus (Cooper, 1973) ( Fig. 6 A-E; Table 6)

Gryphus africanus Cooper, 1973a: 8 , pl. 4, figs 31-38. Xenobrochus africanus – Cooper 1981a: 20, pl. 4, figs 30-35; 1983: pl. 2, figs 20-23. — Hiller 1986: 111-113, fig. 6. — Laurin 1997: 430, 431, figs 15, 16. — Bitner 2010: 647, fig. 3D-G. — Zezina 2010: 1185.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Mozambique Channel. MAINBAZA, stn CP 3143, 1 bivalved specimen.

SouthMadagascar. ATIMOVATAE,stnDW 3564, 1 bivalvedspecimen.

DEPTH RANGE. — 264- 456 m.

MEASUREMENTS. — See Table 6.

REMARKS

The genus Xenobrochus is represented by nine species and is restricted to the Indian Ocean and West Pacific ( Logan 2007; Bitner 2008, 2011). X. africanus was originally described by Cooper (1973a) from Durban Bay, South Africa at 355 m depth under the name of Gryphus africanus but he later ( Cooper 1981a) assigned it as type species to his new genus Xenobrochus . This species was rare in our study but characterized by a completely visible symphytium, and internally by very narrow outer hinge plates and a rounded, concave transverse band ( Fig. 6D, E ).

Figures

FIG. 6. — A-E, Xenobrochus africanus (Cooper, 1973), Mozambique Channel, Inhambane transect, MAINBAZA, stn CP 3143, 264-277 m (MNHN IB-2013-50): A, B, dorsal view of complete specimen and enlargement of the umbonal part to show details of the beak (B); C, inner view of ventral valve; D, E, inner view of dorsal valve (C), and enlargement of posterior part (E) to show details of brachial skeleton; F-J, Gryphus capensis Jackson, 1952, North-West Madagascar, West of Cap d’Ambre, MIRIKY,stn DW 3196, 238-249 m (MNHN IB-2013-43): F-H, inner view of ventral valve (F), enlargement of posterior part (G) to show teeth and symphytium, and broken transverse section, showing secondary fibres and prims of the tertiary layer (top), characteristic for the genus, I, J, inner view of dorsal valve, and enlargement of posterior part (J) to show details of cardinalia and loop. All SEMs. Scale bars: A, C, D, F, I, 2 mm; B, E, G, J, 1 mm; H, 50 µm.