Calyptotheca ornatissima ( Canu & Bassler, 1928a ) Canu & Bassler, 1928

Almeida, Ana C. S., Souza, Facelucia B. C., Menegola, Carla & Vieira, Leandro M., 2017, Diversity of marine bryozoans inhabiting demosponges in northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 4290 (2), pp. 281-323 : 300-302

Calyptotheca ornatissima ( Canu & Bassler, 1928a) n. comb.

( Figs. 48–53 ; Table 5)

Gemelliporidra ornatissima Canu & Bassler, 1928a: 79 , pl. 5, figs. 1–2; Almeida et al. 2015b: 5.

Material examined. UFBA 605 , Camamu Bay, 13°53’S, 38°59’W, 18–20 m, coll . October 2012 (on sponge Timea sp.); UFBA 1178 , Camamu Bay , 13°53’S, 38°59’W, 18–20 m, coll . October 2012 (on sponge Chondrilla nucula ); UFBA 1179 , Camamu Bay , 13°53’S, 38°59’W, 18–20 m, coll . October 2012 (on sponge Timea sp.).

Comparative material. USNM 8554 , Gemelliporidra ornatissima , holotype, F. Canu & R. Bassler det., Bahia, Brazil, 49 m, coll. 1877 by Steamer Norseman.

Description. Colony encrusting, orange in life. Zooidal skeleton orange and avicularia white. Autozooids almost quadrangular to rectangular, rarely polygonal, limited by distinct raised walls. Frontal shield heavily calcified, tuberculate, entirely punctured by 20–50 pseudopores. Primary orifice small relative to frontal shield length, dimorphic (shorter in ovicelled zooids than infertile ones), subcircular, sunken, rounded anter separated from widely and shallowly V-shaped poster by two strong rounded condyles placed at the proximal quarter of orifice; lunula restricted to distal edge of the orifice. Proximal border of orifice slightly raised, often surrounded by short tubercles and with a suboral umbo; suboral umbo often carrying a laterally oriented avicularium with an elongated triangular rostrum. Frontal avicularia similar in shape to suboral avicularium, common, scattered throughout the colony, frequently near zooidal margins and also above ovicells. One elongate avicularium often placed at latero-distal zooidal margin, directed distally or proximally, rostrum acute and curved, with complete crossbar; sometimes a curved avicularium seen at proximal zooidal margin. Vicarious avicularium large, longer than wide, rostrum somewhat spatulate, oblong with concave lateral edges; palate calcified in distal third with rounded proximal margin, thinning proximally along lateral edges; mandible hinged on two strong square condyles situated in the corners of the straight proximal end of avicularium; cystid surrounding almost the entire avicularium except in the rounded distal edge, frontal shield similar to autozooid. Ovicell prominent, ooecia globose, same tuberculate and porous calcification as autozooids, secondary calcification cormidial (i.e. with Y-shaped suture lines of calcification), closed by zooidal operculum. Orifice dimorphic, wider than in autozooids.

Remarks. Calyptotheca ornatissima n. comb. has not been figured since its original description ( Canu & Bassler 1928a), and only recently it has been reported again from Brazilian coast (Bahia) by Almeida et al. (2015b). Although it was originally assigned to the genus Gemelliporidra Canu & Bassler, 1927 , the morphology of orifice (proximal sinus, condyles, lunula and dimorphism; figs. 49, 51, 52 and 53), avicularia (both adventitious and vicarious; figs. 50–53), and ovicell (calcification similar to autozooidal frontal shield; secondary calcification cormidial; figs. 51 and 53) ( Cumming & Tilbrook 2014; Cumming 2015) suggest that it belongs to the genus Calypthoteca.

The species is characterized by multilayered orange colonies with white spots representing the avicularia and ovicells ( Canu & Bassler 1928a; figs. 52 and 53). It can be distinguished from other Calyptotheca by its avicularia (suboral, frontal, lateral and vicarious; Figs. 49–50 ). Other species of the genus were already reported in association with corals, several invertebrates such as other bryozoans and gorgonians, shells, rocks and kelps (e.g., Winston 1986; Florence et al. 2007; Cumming & Tilbrook 2014). Colonies of Calyptotheca ornatissima n. comb. examined here are robust and covered lower and upper portions of the smooth-textured sponges Chondrilla nucula Schmidt, 1862 ( Fig. 13 ) and Timea sp. ( Fig. 16 ), representing the first record of the association of Calyptotheca ornatissima n. comb. with sponges.

Distribution. Atlantic: endemic to Brazil (Bahia) ( Vieira et al. 2008).

Figures

FIGURES 48 – 53. Calyptotheca ornatissima n. comb. 48 – 51, UFBA 1178. 48, Overview of encrusting colony; 49, Close-up of primary orifice showing lunula, suboral and marginal avicularium; 50, Group of autozooids and interzooidal avicularium (center); 51, Ovicelled zooids showing orificial dimorphism. 52 – 53, USNM 8554, holotype. 52, Detail of autozooidal primary orifice and avicularia; 53, Ovicelled zooids (notice the cormidial calcification) and interzooidal avicularium (top right). Scale bars: 48 = 500 µm; 49, 51 – 52 = 100 µm; 50 = 200 µm; 53 = 250 µm.

FIGURES 13 – 17. Some smooth-textured sponges analyzed in the study. Arrows indicate the bryozoans attached to the sponges. 13, Chondrilla nuculla; 14, Halichondria sp.; 15, Haliclona (Soestella) melana; 16, Timea sp.; 17, Topsentia sp. Scale bars: 1 cm.