Akatopora leucocypha (Marcus, 1937)

Judith L Winston, 2016, Bryozoa of Floridan Oculina reefs, Zootaxa 4071 (1), pp. 1-81 : 20

Akatopora leucocypha (Marcus, 1937)

( Fig. 9 ; Table 8 )

Crassimarginatella leucocypha Marcus, 1937: 46 , pl. 8, fig. 20A, pl. 9, figs 20B, C; 1938: 20, pl. 3, figs 8A, B. Conopeum reticulum (part): Osburn 1940: 351.

Antropora leucocypha: Shier 1964: 613 ; Winston 1982: 123, fig. 36; Winston & Håkansson 1986: 9, figs 14–16. Akatopora leucocypha: Winston & Vieira 2013: 110 , fig. 7.

Material examined. VMNH no. 70607, 70608; USNM no. 1283234.

Description. Colonies encrusting shells of living and dead gastropods, including very small gastropods found in Oculina rubble ( Fig. 9 B). Zooids oval to irregular in shape. Lateral walls with scattered tubercles. Frontal membrane underlain by a distally narrowing cryptocystal rim, with granules arranged along radial rows ( Fig. 9 E, F). Well-calcified basal walls with thick internal vertical ridges. Triangular or rounded kenozooids with similarly patterned cryptocyst found between autozooids ( Fig. 9 A, C). Small avicularia with semicircular mandibles may also occur. Ooecia indicated by a narrow crescent of calcification ( Fig. 9 G).

Remarks. Gordon (1986) suggested that two species of Antropora , A. leucocypha and A. tincta should be included in Akatopora because, like the type species Akatopora clausentina Davis, 1934 , zooids have a reduced cryptocyst, enlarged opesia and small kenozooids in the interzooidal angles. This decision was followed by Winston & Vieira (2013). Akatopora leucocypha is distinguished by its lack of avicularian condyles and in having a semicircular avicularian mandible (see Marcus 1937, pl. 8, fig. 20A). In Florida Akatopora leucocypha is common on gastropod shells from intertidal to continental shelf depths.

Distribution. Cape Hatteras to Brazil, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Akatopora leucocypha (Marcus, 1937): A, colony on shell substratum; B, a larger colony encrusting a gastropod shell; C, zooids with ooecia and many kenozooids, from young, unilaminar colony in A; D, close up showing a zooid with ooecium on left; E, autozooid; F, zooid with developing ooecium; G, zooid with small ooecium. Scale bars: A, B, 1 mm; C, 0.5 mm; D, 0.3 mm; E, G, 0.2 mm; F, 0.1 mm.

Tables

TABLE 8. Measurements in mm of Akatopora leucocypha (Marcus, 1937).

	Lz	Wz	Lop	Wop
N	18	18	18	18
Mean	0.391	0.271	0.243	0.145
SD	0.059	0.038	0.035	0.018
Min	0.288	0.216	0.198	0.126
Max	0.486	0.360	0.324	0.180