Schizomavella fischeri (Jullien, 1882)

Souto, Javier, Berning, Björn & Ostrovsky, Andrew N., 2016, Systematics and diversity of deep-water Cheilostomata (Bryozoa) from Galicia Bank (NE Atlantic), Zootaxa 4067 (4), pp. 401-459 : 449-451

Schizomavella fischeri (Jullien, 1882)

( Figs 119–125 , Table 21 )

Schizoporella fischeri Jullien, 1882: 15 , pl. 14, figs 32, 33; Jullien 1883: 511, pl. 14, figs 32, 33; Calvet 1907: 422. Schizomavella fischeri: d’Hondt 1973a: 371 ; d’Hondt 1974: 40; Harmelin & d’Hondt 1992: 44, pl. 5, E-F; Reverter-Gil et al. 2014: 25.

Material examined. MNCN 25.03/3981, 3982, locality V01; MNCN 25.03/3983, locality DR10; OLL 2015/921, locality DR05; OLL 2015/922, locality DR10; OLL 2015/923, locality DR09.

Remarks. The description of this species was originally based on a single specimen from 1068 m depth from the Iberian continental slope south of Galicia Bank (Jullien 1882). We have recently studied the type material of S. fischeri , as well as several additional specimens from different areas, within the scope of a revision of NE Atlantic deep-water Schizomavella species. A thorough description of the species has very recently been published elsewhere (Reverter-Gil et al. 2015). Although the morphology of the different populations varies to some extent (e.g. number of oral spines, sinus width, frontal shield ornamentation), a clear line cannot be drawn between any of these populations based on morphology alone. The Galicia Bank specimens, for instance, deviate slightly from the type in having a frontal shield with a more pronounced reticulate pattern of fine ridges, while in the type the surface is only faintly rugose, whereas all other characters coincide. Genetic studies will certainly be needed to distinguish intra- from interspecific variability.

Schizomavella fischeri is, at present, considered to occur along the western Iberian shelf and slope to the central Mediterranean Sea at depths of 250–1100 m. At Galicia Bank the species was found at 13 stations between 685 and 1414 m.

SD, standard deviation; N, number of measurements

Figures

FIGURES 119 – 125. Schizomavella fischeri: 119, 120, parts of colonies with ovicells (respectively MNCN 25.03 / 3981 and OLL 2015 / 923); 121, ancestrula with two distal zooids; 122, ovicellate zooids (MNCN 25.03 / 3981); 123, 124, zooidal orifices, each with a suboral avicularium (MNCN 25.03 / 3981); 125, distal part of autozooid with ovicell and suboral avicularium (OLL 2015 / 923).

Tables

TABLE 21. Measurements (in mm) of Schizomavella fischeri.

	Mean	SD	Minimum	Maximum	N
Autozooid length	0.714	0.0728	0.574	0.869	20
Autozooid width	0.634	0.1179	0.500	0.910	20
Orifice length	0.133	0.0093	0.114	0.152	22
Orifice width	0.143	0.0081	0.126	0.161	22
Ooecium length	0.281	0.0257	0.240	0.309	12
Ooecium width	0.306	0.0109	0.289	0.327	12
Avicularium length	0.065	0.0107	0.045	0.080	15
Avicularium width	0.041	0.0043	0.031	0.048	15