Cigclisula areolata (Kirkpatrick, 1890)

Almeida, Ana C. S., Souza, Facelucia B. C., Menegola, Carla M. S., Sanner, Joann & Vieira, Leandro M., 2014, Taxonomic review of the family Colatooeciidae Winston, 2005 (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata), with description of seven new species, Zootaxa 3868 (1), pp. 1-61 : 13-14

Cigclisula areolata (Kirkpatrick, 1890)

( Fig. 6 , Table 2 )

Lepralia occlusa var. areolata Kirkpatrick, 1890: 618 , pl. 16, figs 7, 7a. [ Australia]

Porella areolata: Livingstone 1926: 91 (in part, encrusting specimens). [Great Barrier Reef, Australia]

Cigclisula areolata: Hastings 1932: 434 . [Great Barrier Reef, Australia]

Not Porella areolata: Ortmann 1890: 42 , pl. 3, fig 20. [ Japan]

Material examined. Lectotype: NHMUK 2014.8 .6.1, Lepralia occlusa var. areolata, Kirkpatrick det., Murray Island , Torres Straits, A.C. Haddon, 15–20 ftm (27.4–36.6 m) . Paralectotypes: NHMUK 1890.3.24.60; NHMUK 1890.11 .22.3 (two balsam slide) ; NHMUK 1999.3 .9.6, same data as Lectotype .

Description. Colony encrusting, uni- to multilaminar. Zooids polygonal, as long as wide, delimited by distinct grooves. Frontal shield heavily calcified, minutely tubercular, marginally punctured by 1–2 rows of 12–24 large pseudopores. Primary orifice large relative to frontal shield, centered, transversely D-shaped, wider than long, sunken, with arch-shaped anter and concave poster, separated by 2 midlateral down-curved condyles. Secondary orifice non-tubercular, slightly raised. Suboral elliptical avicularium laterally directed. Frontal avicularia absent. Interzooidal avicularia smaller than zooids, longer than wide, rostrum obovate, proximal edge rounded and distal edge deep concave, calcified palate occupies more than half of rostrum, foramen trifoliate proximal and oval distally. Ooecium subglobose, minutely granular, inclined toward zooid surface; ectooecium with longitudinal band of 6–7 large irregular pseudopores.

Remarks. The species was described by Kirkpatrick (1890) as a variety of Lepralia occlusa (= Cigclisula occlusa ), but later authors considered it to be distinct ( Hastings 1932). There are some differences between C. areolata and C. occlusa : C. areolata has encrusting colonies, a transversely D-shaped orifice, no frontal avicularia and interzooidal obovate avicularia, while C. occlusa has erect colonies, a longer-than-wide orifice ( Hastings 1932), small frontal avicularia placed at zooidal margins and interzooidal spatulate avicularia.

According to Hastings (1932), C. areolata is distinguished from the Japanese species described by Ortmann (1890) as Porella areolata in the colony form (erect in C. areolata , encrusting in the Japanese specimens) and primary orifice (transversely D-shaped in C. areolata , elliptical in Japanese specimens). Ortmann (1890) gave only a short description with a single uninformative illustration of P. areolata , so the specimens studied by him should be reexamined to determine their identity.

Livingstone (1926) described both encrusting and erect colonies in C. areolata . These two colony forms, however, were reassigned by Hastings (1932) to two distinct species of Cigclisula : C. areolata , with encrusting colonies and C. cautium with erect bilaminar colonies. Other differences include (i) zooid size (larger in C. cautium ), (ii) shape and size of primary orifice (transversely D-shaped and longer in C. areolata , elliptical and smaller in C. cautium ), and (iii) frontal avicularia in C. cautium (absent in C. areolata ).

Cigclisula areolata is distinguished from all congeners by the presence of interzooidal avicularia having the rostrum obovate with the foramen trifoliate proximal and oval distally.

Distribution. Pacific: Australia (Queensland).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Cigclisula areolata (Kirkpatrick, 1890). A–F, NHMUK 2014.8.6.1, lectotype, Australia. A, group of zooids. B, close-up of zooids and suboral avicularia. C, primary orifice and suboral avicularium. D, close-up of spatulate interzooidal avicularium. E, F, ovicelled zooids. Scale bars: A, F = 200 µm, B, D, E = 100 µm; C = 40 µm.