Tubulipora similis Liu in Liu, Yin & Ma, 2001

Liu, H., Liu, X. & Zágoršek, K., 2019, Cyclostome bryozoans from Qingdao, South Yellow Sea, China, Zootaxa 4603 (3), pp. 473-500 : 477

Tubulipora similis Liu in Liu, Yin & Ma, 2001

( Figs 7–10 )

v. Tubulipora similis Liu in Liu, Yin & Ma, 2001: p. 789 , pl. 5, figs 4–7.

? Tubulipora concinna: Harmer, 1915: 123 , pl. 10, fig. 10.

Material examined. MBM 284348 and MBM 194943 (Beihai 5 m depth, Lingshan Island); MBM 0 92355 and MBM 284454 ( Jiaozhou Bay); MBM 188628, MBM 284458 and MBM 284459 (Qingdao Coast) and MBM 283978, MBM 283980, MBM 284526, MBM 284493 and MBM 284496 (float of fishing net, First Bathing Beach).

Figured material. three colonies from MBM 284496 (float of fishing net, First Bathing Beach).

Description. Colony encrusting, lobate. Autozooids wide (approximately 80–100 µm), arranged in somewhat longitudinal rows. Apertures circular, peristomes long (approximately 160–320 µm), slightly curved and perforated by sparse, very small pseudopores (diameter approximately 4 µm). Budding margin consists of 2–4 rows of incompletely developed zooids, forming a characteristic edge. Protoecium approximately 110–120 µm in diameter with distinctly serrate margins, lacking pseudopores. Gonozooid triangular, longer (660–700 µm) than wide (580–620 µm distally), with a distinctly narrower proximal part (less than 150 µm), spreading over 2–5 autozooidal tubes and perforated by these tubes; pseudopores numerous, large (ca. 9 µm in diameter). Ooeciopore elongate, oval-tosemilunar, situated in the middle part of the gonozooid, adjacent to the proximal margin of the closest autozooid, 130–140 µm wide by ca. 30–50 µm long. Ooeciostome sometimes with extended lips developed around the ooeciopore. Basal lamina not extended distally beyond the budding zone.

Remarks. This species is similar to Tubulipora flabellaris ( Fabricius, 1780) and Tubulipora pulchra MacGillivray, 1885a ( Liu et al. 2001). Tubulipora similis differs mainly in having a protoecium with a serrate margin and a triangular gonozooid with the ooeciopore situated in the middle, very close to a distal autozooid. The ooeciopore is always situated on the proximal margin of the autozooidal peristome. Moreover, the budding margin of T. similis is formed only by incompletely developed zooidal tubes, and therefore lacks the wide distal fringe of basal lamina seen in T. pulchra .

This species is also very similar to specimens described by Harmer (1915) as Tubulipora concinna MacGillivray, 1885a in the size and position of the gonozooid, including the position, size and shape of the ooeciopore. As no protoecium was described by Harmer (1915), the attribution of his material remains uncertain.

The original illustration of Tubulipora concinna (MacGillivray 1885a, p. 94, pl. 1, fig. 10), as well as new photographs of the type material made by Bock (1982), shows however a narrow, tubular ooeciostome and is therefore more similar to Qingdaoella n. gen. described below.

Some specimens have the dentition of the protoecium somewhat sparse and less defined, feature may be correlated with the substrate encrusted.

Occurrence. Beihai (5 m, Lingshan Island), Jiaozhou Bay and First Bathing Beach.

Figures

FIGURES 7–10. Tubulipora similis Liu in Liu, Yin & Ma, 2001, specimens MBM 284496 from First Bathing Beach. 7. General view of the specimen. 8. Protoecium. 9, 10. Gonozooid and details of the ooeciopore. Scale bars: 7 = 1 mm; 8–10 = 100 µm.