Disporella xianqiureni, Liu & Liu & Zágoršek, 2019

Liu, H., Liu, X. & Zágoršek, K., 2019, Cyclostome bryozoans from Qingdao, South Yellow Sea, China, Zootaxa 4603 (3), pp. 473-500 : 496-498

Disporella xianqiureni n. sp.

( Figs 59–62 )

lsid:zoobank.org:act: FA8E15E0-14DA-4BF7-B276-069758B21280

? Lichenopora capillata Kirkpatrick, 1890: p. 22 , pl. 4, fig. 4.

? Lichenopora verrucaria: Osburn, 1953: p. 703 , pl. 74, fig. 3.

Diagnosis: Autozooids in uniserial rows, apertures not in fascicles. Diameter of the kenozooids approximately half the diameter of the autozooids. Gonozooid often indistinct, frontal wall not observable. Ooeciopore large (diameter approximately twice as that of autozooidal apertures), conspicuous, with a prominent lip. Mural spines, numerous, present in both kenozooidal and autozooidal tubes.

Holotype. Specimen MBM 284332 from Lingshan Island ( Figs 59, 60 ).

Paratypes. Specimens MBM 284467 and MBM 284377 ( Jiaozhou Bay), MBM 284349 , MBM 284344 , MBM 284347 , MBM 284345 (Lingshan Island) .

Additional material: More than ten colonies from samples MBM 0 92355, MBM 194656, MBM 194697, MBM 194702 ( Jiaozhou Bay), MBM 194763 (Lingshan Island).

Etymology. In honour of Prof. Xianqiu Ren, one of the leading specialists in IOCAS, Qingdao.

Description. Colony discoidal (diameter ca. 3–5 mm), with narrow basal lamina (up to 250 µm wide). Autozooids arranged in irregular, indistinct radial rows, diverging from the centre of the colony, or sometimes chaotically arranged. Apertures circular to elongate (diameter 80–100 µm), not in fascicles. Mural spines projecting inside the apertures, numerous and small (approximately 3–5 µm), with narrow tips. Kenozooids (alveoli) numerous, polygonal to circular, smaller than autozooidal apertures (diameter 50–80 µm), with numerous mural spines. Gonozooid often indistinct; ooeciopore larger than autozooidal apertures, oval (110–130 µm wide by 80–100 µm long), with flared ooeciostome on one side (up to 130 µm wide), directed towards the centre of the colony.

Remarks. The most similar species is Patinella verrucaria ( Linnaeus, 1758) as described by Osburn (1953) as Lichenopora verrucaria ( Fabricius, 1780) . Osburn’s specimen has autozooid arranged in indistinct rows and ooeciopores of similar size and position, with well-developed ooeciostomes. The material described by Osborn (1953) may belong to the new Chinese species but it is not accessible for confirmation.

The taxon Lichenopora verrucaria ( Fabricius, 1780) was invalidated ( Winston & Hayward, 2012) and transferred to Patinella verrucaria ( Linnaeus, 1758) . The type material of P. verrucaria is infertile, therefore it is impossible to ascertain which species it belongs. This species name is widely used in the literature, but the species probably occurs only in the Netherlands ( De Blauwe, 2009).

Disporella novaehollandiae ( d’Orbigny, 1853) as revised by Gordon & Taylor (2001) is a similar species, which has a smaller ooeciopore, ooeciostome without lips, and autozooids arranged in distinct rows.

Lichenopora capillata Kirkpatrick, 1890 (p. 22, pl. 4, fig. 4; NHMUK 1889.8.21.74 from Gorvan Reef) has a very similar shape and position of the ooeciopore and ooeciostome with similar lips directed towards the centre of the colony, but differs in having autozooidal apertures arranged in distinct radial rows. In this respect, it is more similar to Disporella novaehollandiae than to D. xianqiureni n. sp.

With its indistinct gonozooid and conspicuous ooeciopore, D. xianqiureni n. sp. is also similar to P. radiata which, however, lacks extended lips around the much smaller and more circular ooeciostome, has very autozooidal tubes regularly arranged in radial rows, and the ooeciopore is situated more towards the margin of the colony. Moreover, P. radiata seems to be only a European species (Schäffer 1991).

Occurrence. Jiaozhou Bay and Lingshan Island.

Figures

FIGURES 59–62. Disporella xianqiureni n. sp. Lingshan Island. 59, 60. Holotype MBM 284332. 59. General view. 60. Detail of the indistinct gonozooid with ooeciopore. 61. Paratype MBM 284347, detail of the ooeciopore with prominent lips and numerous spines inside the kenozooids and autozooids. 62. Paratype MBM 284345, showing the position of the gonozooid. Scale bars: 59–62 = 100 µm.