Acupipora, Gorjunova and Weiss, 2012

Ernst, Andrej, Claussen, Anna Lene, Seuss, Barbara & Wyse Jackson, Patrick N., 2022, Stenolaemate bryozoans from the Graham Formation, Pennsylvanian (Virgilian) at Lost Creek Lake, Texas, USA, Palaeontologia Electronica (a 15) 25 (2), pp. 1-56 : 24-26

Genus ACUPIPORA Gorjunova and Weiss, 2012

Type species. Polypora subborealis Schulga-Nesterenko, 1951 (= Polypora krasnopolskyi Schulga-Nesterenko, 1951 ), subsequently designated by Gorjunova and Weiss (2012). Pennsylvanian, Gzhelian; Russia.

Diagnosis. Reticulate colonies of different shapes built by straight or slightly undulating, bifurcating branches, joined at regular intervals by straight and short dissepiments without autozooecia. Autozooecia arranged in 3–5 alternating rows on branches, and 2–3 after bifurcation. Autozooecial chambers polygonal tubular, proximally recumbent on budding plate, with long axis directed toward obverse surface; rhomboidal, hexagonal to tetragonal in tangential sections through endozone, superior hemisepta present, blunt; inferior hemisepta present, positioned at the base of the autozooecia chamber in its middle-distal part. Vestibules moderately long. Diaphragms absent. Autozooecial apertures rounded. Microacanthostyles and nodes usually present on obverse surface. Heterozooecia in form of isolated zooecia with enlarged endozonal chambers present. Nanozooecia (autozooecia sealed by perforated terminal diaphragm) present (modified after Gorunova and Weiss, 2012).

Remarks. Acupipora Gorunova and Weiss, 2012 , differs from the genus Polyporella Simpson, 1895 , in the shape of autozooecia (rhomboidal, hexagonal to tetragonal vs. hexagonal to tetragonal-pentagonal in Polyporella ). Acupipora differs from Polypora M’Coy, 1844 in shape of autozooecia (rhomboidal, hexagonal to tetragonal vs. hexagonal in Polypora ) and in presence of inferior hemisepta.

Occurrence. Pennsylvanian, Gzhelian; Russia. Pennsylvanian, Desmoinesian (late Moscovian); Mexico. Graham Formation, Pennsylvanian (Virgilian); Texas, USA.