Cigclisula Canu & Bassler, 1927

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 : 8-9

Genus Cigclisula Canu & Bassler, 1927

Type species. Escharoides occlusa Busk, 1884 , by original designation.

Diagnosis (revised). Colony encrusting, uni to multilaminar, or erect and bilaminar. Autozooids oblong to hexagonal, heavily calcified. Frontal shield with frontal pseudopores and marginal areolar pores. Primary orifice transversely D-shaped, hoof-shaped or subelliptical. Secondary orifice formed by raised and rounded tubercles that often obscure the primary orifice. Suboral avicularium often present, seated low near the primary orifice. Interzooidal and frontal avicularia with complete crossbars. Ooecium not closed by operculum, coarse surface calcification, ectooecium with longitudinal band of pseudopores.

Remarks. When Canu & Bassler (1927) erected Cigclisula , they stated that “the ovicell is hyperstomial, opening in the peristome, never closed by the operculum, with the frontal perforated by very large pores”. Nevertheless, species in which the ectooecium has a frontal circular or slit-like membranous area, typical of Trematooecia (see remarks under Trematooecia ), have frequently been attributed to Cigclisula . Cigclisula and Trematooecia share morphological characters that can lead to cross-identification: colonies can be encrusting and multilaminar with globose zooids or erect and bilaminar; marginal and frontal pseudopores are common; the primary orifice may or may not have condyles; the secondary orifice is frequently surrounded by tubercles; suboral and interzooidal avicularia can be present. Because of these overlapping characters Harmer (1957), Maturo (1968) and Banta & Carson (1977) included in Cigclisula species that have been attributed to Trematooecia . The type species of these genera are, respectively, Escharoides occlusa Busk, 1884 and Holoporella aviculifera Canu & Bassler, 1923 (misidentified as Trematooecia turrita by Osburn, 1940). Our analysis of the type species has determined that their ooecia are morphologically distinct. Whereas Cigclisula occlusa has an ectooecium with a longitudinal band of irregular pseudopores, Trematooecia aviculifera has an ectooecium with a circular membranous window. On this basis, at least, it seems appropriate to maintain both genera.

Accordingly, at least two species previously assigned to Trematooecia are reassigned to Cigclisula , viz Cigclisula turrita ( Smitt, 1873) and Cigclisula psammophila ( Winston & Håkansson, 1986) n. comb. Porella rogickae Soule, 1961 was assigned to Cigclisula by Bock (2014), following Banta & Carson (1977), who considered it related to Trematooecia aviculifera (as Cigclisula ). Soule’s treatment may be correct, however, as P. rogickae has a primary orifice with a transversely narrow lyrula and imperforate ooecium, typical of Porella Gray, 1848 and different from Cigclisula , which has a semicircular to elliptical primary orifice and ooecium perforated by irregular pseudopores.