Novocrania, Lee & Brunton, 2001

Bitner, Maria Aleksandra & Logan, Alan, 2016, Recent Brachiopoda from the Mozambique-Madagascar area, western Indian Ocean, Zoosystema 38 (1), pp. 5-41 : 8-9

Novocrania sp.

( Fig. 2 D-H; Table 1)

? Crania species – Cooper 1981a: 11-12, figs 2-4.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Mozambique Channel. MAINBAZA, stn DW 3167, 5 dorsal valves.

North-West Madagascar. MIRIKY, stn DW 3199, 5 dorsal valves of young individuals.

DEPTH RANGE. — 228- 652 m.

MEASUREMENTS. — See Table 1.

DESCRIPTION

Shell small, subcircular, wider than long, conical in profile, with nearly straight posterior margin.Shell surface ornamented by concentric growth lines; on better preserved specimens single pustules are observed. Apex situated posterocentrally to subposteriorly. Dorsal valve interior with circular posterior adductor muscle scars. Anterior adductor muscle scars very small, ovate, positioned close to one another ( Fig. 2G ). Below the scars low, subtriangular shallow depressions are visible on the inner surface. Marginal rim distinct, slightly concave ( Fig. 2H ).

REMARKS

The specimens collected in the Mozambique Channel and northern Madagascar resemble the specimen from Walters Bank, South of Madagascar described by Cooper (1981a) as Crania sp., suggesting conspecificity of those brachiopods. They are, however, two to three times larger than Cooper’s specimen. As a ventral valve is missing we are unable to propose a new species.

Subphylum RHYNCHONELLIFORMEA Williams, Carlson, Brunton, Holmer & Popov, 1996 Class RHYNCHONELLATA Williams, Carlson, Brunton, Holmer & Popov, 1996 Order RHYNCHONELLIDA Kuhn, 1949 Superfamily PUGNACOIDEA Rzhonsnitskaya, 1956 Family BASILIOLIDAE Cooper, 1959

Figures

FIG. 2. — A, Discradisca sp., South Madagascar, Bay of Galions, ATIMO VATAE, stn TP03, 17-21 m, dorsal view of complete specimen (IB-2013-28). B, C, Novocrania roseoradiata (Jackson, 1952), outer and inner views of dorsal valve (IB-2013-29), South Madagascar, S. Bay of Lokaro, ATIMO VATAE, stn TS09, 5-6 m. D-H, Novocrania sp., Mozambique Channel, Almirante Leite Bank, MAINBAZA, stn CC 3167, 228-230 m, dorsal valves (IB-2013-30-31); D, E, outer and inner views; F-H, inner view, and enlargement of posterior part to show muscle scars (G) and margin (H). A, D-H, SEM. Scale bars: A, 1 mm; B-G, 2 mm; H, 200 µm.