Reteporellina berylae, Branch & Hayward, 2005

Branch, M. L. & Hayward, P. J., 2005, New species of cheilostomatous Bryozoa from subantarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands, Journal of Natural History 39 (29), pp. 2671-2704 : 2698-2700

Reteporellina berylae sp. nov.

( Figure 12 A–E)

Material

Holotype: St. 39 Marion Island (46 ° 60 9 S, 38 ° 01 9 E), 360–376 m, SAM A27527 . Paratype: St. 45 Marion Island (47 ° 00 9 S, 37 ° 55 9 E), 420–540 m, SAM A27493 .

Description

Colony forms large, erect, reticulate lacy fans, to 30 mm high, with horizontal spread of 30 mm. Branches (trabeculae) 1–1.5 mm in diameter, fusing at irregular intervals, leaving elongate spaces (fenestrulae) between them, often more than 10 mm long. Autozooids in three alternating, longitudinal series (four prior to trabecular division), elongate, separated by clear, raised sutures, 0.8–1.2X 0.37–0.4 mm; short, adventitious trabeculae often lack autozooids. Autozooids at growing tips with a terminal primary orifice, bearing a medio-proximal sinus; a long fluted peristome develops in early ontogeny, its rim flared laterally, and produced into a number of short, blunt processes, and with a distinct medioproximal notch; no oral spines. Frontal shield granular, with few (less than five) large marginal pores proximally. Small, frontal adventitious avicularia sporadic, sometimes paired, rostrum triangular. Larger avicularia sparsely present, with enlarged cystid and elongate triangular rostrum, almost perpendicular to frontal plane and orientated obliquely proximally. Ovicell hyperstomial, initially prominent but becoming partly obscured by a granular ooecial cover; with a V-shaped frontal fissure; aperture overhung by a short labellum.

Etymology

Named for the first author’s sister, Beryl Britten.

Remarks

Reteporellina berylae sp. nov. is characterized by the distinctive fenestration, small frontal avicularia with short triangular rostrum, and enlarged avicularia with straight, triangular rostrum. The colony is more robust and irregularly fenestrate than that of Reteporella gigantea ( Busk, 1884) , another species of phidoloprid found at Marion Island, which has avicularia in the lip of the orifice as well as small adventitious avicularia with a semicircular rostrum on the frontal surface of the autozooid.

Figures

Figure 12. Reteporellina berylae sp. nov., SAM A27527: (A) autozooids and ovicelled autozooids with small adventitious avicularia, X50; (B) part of the colony showing large irregular fenestrulae, X10; (C) small frontal avicularium, X125; (D) ovicell and aperture, X70; (E) large avicularium, X65.