Turbicellepora RYLAND, 1963

ZÁGORŠEK, KAMIL, 2010, BRYOZOA FROM THE LANGHIAN (MIOCENE) OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC PART II: SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBORDER ASCOPHORA LEVINSEN, 1909 AND PALEOECOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE STUDIED PALEOENVIRONMENT, Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 66 (3 - 4), pp. 139-255 : 139-255

Genus Turbicellepora RYLAND, 1963

Colony encrusting, multilaminar, nodular or massive. Autozooecia with marginal areolar pores only. Lateral, suboral avicularium, additional vicarious avicularia may be present. Ovicell slightly immersed, irregularly perforated.

R e m a r k: The main difference between Celleporina GRAY, 1847 and Turbicellepora RYLAND, 1963 is the frontal shield of the ovicell. Celleporina has an endoecium reduced to the radial ribs on part of the frontal wall only, while Turbicellepora has an ectoecium perforated by a few large pores. The other differences include the position of the oral avicularia ( Celleporina typically has a pair of oral avicularia situated on the peristome, Turbicellepora has only one suboral, laterally placed avicularium. Because only one poorly preserved ovicell has been found in the described taxa, the avicularia was mainly used as a distinctive feature at genus level.

Turbicellepora coronopus ( WOOD, 1844) Pl. 126, Fig. 1-5

* 1844 Cellepora coronopus sp.n. – Wood p. 18.

1952 Osthimosia coronopus – Lagaaij p. 137

v. 1974 Turbicellepora coronopus ( WOOD, 1844) – David and Pouyet p. 212 – 213

v. 1977 Turbicellepora coronopus ( WOOD, 1844) – Vávra p. 157 (cum syn.)

1978 Turbicellepora coronopus (WOOD) – Hayward p. 575 – 577, Fig. 13 (cum syn.)

?1988 Turbicellepora coronopus (WOOD) – Moissette p. 188, Pl. 30, Fig. 7, 8

non 1997 Turbicellepora coronopus (WOOD) – Pouyet p. 80, Pl. 8, Fig. 10-12

T y p e: Lectotype chosen by Lagaaij (1952) from the Wood coll. in NHM London (number B 1606) illustrated by Busk (1859) on his Pl. 9, Fig. 1a from Sutton (Suffolk, England, Great Britain), Coralline Crag, Pliocene

M a t e r i a l: Altogether 8 samples were studied from different localities and from material stored in the Natural History Museum Vienna under the number 1859.50.758.

D i a g n o s i s: Coloniesusuallylarge,columnar.Autozooecia usually wider than long. Primary apertures almost circular (163µm long and 150µm wide) with a distinct sinus. Suboral avicularia single, large (98µm long and 56µm wide), situated on a long umbo. Vicarious avicularia spatulate (spoon-shaped), very large (289µm long and 186µm wide) with rounded palate foramen. Pivotal bar with a large ligula. Ovicell small, immersed, with convex frontal wall perforated by scattered large pores.

R e m a r k s: Often reported from the Miocene of different countries, but only, when a “V”-shaped sinus, vicarious avicularia with a ligula on the pivotal bar, and ovicells with a perforated frontal wall are observed, is determination reliable. For example: Moissette (1988) does not describe any ligula on the pivotal bar, so his determination remains uncertain. Similarly Pouyet (1997) illustrated vicarious avicularia without any ligula, so her specimens can not belong to this species.