Species complex 1: “ multispinata ”

REMARK

Hemicyclopora multispinata (Busk, 1861) is the oldest described taxon among the 18 Hemicyclopora species listed in Bryozoa .net (accessed on 20.IV.22). The lack of precision in the original description and the specific name pointing to the presence of numerous oral spines, a feature shared with several congeneric species, have led to repeated misinterpretations of this taxon. Despite gaps and deficiencies in the knowledge of the morphology of the true H. multispinata, the available data on this species (see below) indicate that several specimens from our material are morphologically close to it. These specimens are distributed in two geographically distinct series, which form a species complex with H. multispinata . The best documented series is constituted by Mediterranean specimens, for which a new species is here designated. The second series is limited to few specimens from two localities of the Azores, which are left unnamed ( Hemicyclopora sp. 1).