Cigclisula turrita (Smitt, 1873)

(Fig. 37; Table 36)

Lepralia turrita Smitt, 1873: 65, pl. 11, figs 226–228.

Holoporella turrita: Canu & Bassler 1923: 179, pl. 46, fig. 1. Cigclisula turrita: Banta & Carson 1977: 400, figs 4E, 7; Winston 1982: 147, fig. 79. Trematooecia turrita: Winston 2005: 105, figs 291–297.

Cigclisula turrita: Almeida et al. 2014: 20, fig. 11.

Material examined. VMNH no. 70658; USNM no. 1283261.

Description. Colonies encrusting, multilaminar (Fig. 37 A), developing into mounds a few mm in size, pale pink when alive. Even young colonies that are still unilaminar are conspicuously raised above substratum because of their deep-bodied zooids. Zooids with irregularly polygonal borders and central orifice surrounded by 4–5 flattipped spiniform tubercles (Fig. 37 D). Frontal shield granular, thickly calcified, with small pores scattered over surface. Orifice hoof-shaped, with evenly rounded anter and broad, shall poster demarcated by triangular condyles (Fig. 37 E). Oval adventitious avicularia in two size classes, the smaller with serrated distal rostral margins, usually buried in peristome between or at ends of tubercles; the larger with enlarged, more-spatulate mandible and smooth rostrum. Ooecia immersed in calcification of spines and peristome, opening into peristome; with frontal grid of small pores. Embryos red.

Remarks. Cigclisula turrita -like forms have a long history in the Caribbean-western Atlantic, and have undergone considerable radiation. Almeida et al. (2014) revised the genera Cigclisula, Trematooecia and Colatooecia, placing them in the celleporid family Colatooeciidae .

Distribution. Florida and Caribbean.