Smittina forticula, Judith L Winston, 2016

Judith L Winston, 2016, Bryozoa of Floridan Oculina reefs, Zootaxa 4071 (1), pp. 1-81 : 52-54

Smittina forticula sp. nov.

( Fig. 29 ; Table 28 )

Material examined. Holotype: VMNH. no. 70642.

Etymology. Latin, forticulus, diminutive of fortis, strong, brave, alluding to the spear-shaped frontal avicularium.

Diagnosis. Smittina species having an orifice with a low, broad anvil-shaped lyrula, a medial hastate suboral avicularium, and a small, heavily calcified ooecium with few pores.

Description. Colony encrusting calcareous substrata ( Fig. 29 A, B), small. Zooids oval to rhombic with evenly porous frontal shield, small round pores sunken in thick, rough-textured calcification, and a few larger pores at zooid margins. Primary orifice transversely oval, with low, broad anvil-shaped lyrula ( Fig. 29 D) and surrounded by thick-walled peristome, circular distally and laterally, but with an almost rectangular pseudosinus proximally. One zooid of unique colony with median suboral oval avicularium with triangular rostrum ( Fig. 29 C). Ooecia appearing as small, thickly calcified caps, bumpy and mostly imperforate, but with a very few small pores, fused to distal rim of the peristome, not closed by zooid operculum ( Fig. 29 A, B).

Remarks. This species is unusual in having a medial suboral avicularium rather than one connected more closely to the peristome and orifice as in most Smittina species. The ovicells are almost imperforate, but the colony has been bored, probably by blue-green algae, which has added more holes to the specimen illustrated. Only one colony of this species was found, but the suite of characters it possesses is unique.

Distribution. Atlantic Florida Oculina reefs.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Smittina forticula sp. nov.: A, group of zooids showing high peristomes and almost imperforate ooecia, with remains of an Aetea colony; B, a single zooid with ooecium and frontal avicularium; C, close-up of hastate avicularium; D, close-up of orifice showing broad lyrula inside thick peristome with pseudosinus. Scale bars: A, 0.5 mm; B, 0.2 mm; C, 0.05 mm; D, 0.1 mm.

Tables

TABLE 28. Measurements in mm of Smittina forticula sp. nov.

	Lz	Wz	Lo	Wo	Lov	Wov	Lav	Wav
N	6	6	6	6	6	6	1	1
Mean	0.552	0.348	0.131	0.110	0.144	0.252	0.090	0.072
SD	0.022	0.029	0.011	0.004	0.016	0.030	------	------
Min	0.522	0.306	0.117	0.108	0.126	0.216	0.090	0.072
Max	0.576	0.378	0.144	0.117	0.162	0.288	0.090	0.072