Colatooeciidae Winston, 2005

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 : 5-6

Family Colatooeciidae Winston, 2005

Type genus. Colatooecia Winston, 2005 ; type species Porina serrulata Smitt, 1873 , by original designation.

Diagnosis (revised). Colony encrusting, uni- to multilaminar or erect and bilaminar. Frontal shield perforated by pseudopores, thickening as zooids and colonies age. Spiramen may be present, conspicuous in developing zooids, joining with the peristome and immersed in frontal shield in completely calcified zooids. Primary orifice transversely D-shaped to rounded, secondary orifice level with frontal-shield surface, with or without tubercles. Condyles present or absent. Spines absent. Interzooidal and adventitious avicularia sometimes present. Ooecium not closed by operculum, recumbent on distal zooid, soon becoming embedded in its secondary calcification; entooecium largely calcified, with membranous frontal area; ectooecium smooth, calcified, with single membranous area or with longitudinal band of pseudopores.

Remarks. The family was erected to accommodate Colatooecia Winston, 2005 , but Vieira et al. (2010a) also included Trematooecia and Cigclisula owing to characteristics of the frontal shield and ooecia. Both genera were previously placed in different families such as Stomatochetosellidae Canu & Bassler, 1917 ( Canu & Bassler 1927; Harmer 1957; Hayward & Ryland 1995) and Hippoporidridae Vigneaux, 1949 ( Tilbrook 2006; Ayari et al. 2008), from which both differ mostly in features of the ooecium (for additional information see Vieira et al. 2010a).

Genus Colatooecia Winston, 2005

Type species. Porina serrulata Smitt, 1873 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Colony rigid, erect and branching. Frontal wall evenly perforated by large pseudopores, frontal surface thickening with increasing calcification. Spiramen conspicuous in young zooids, joining with peristome and immersed in frontal wall with increasing calcification and in completely calcified zooids. Primary orifice oval, becoming obscured by the secondary orifice. Adventitious avicularia with complete crossbars. Ooecium embedded in frontal surface, ectooecium with central membranous area (looks like a fenestra when cuticular parts are removed); entooecium bridged by a sieve of delicate costae which interdigitate at the mid-point of the ooecium.