Acanthodesia Canu & Bassler, 1919

Taylor, Paul D. & Tan, Shau-Hwai Aileen, 2015, Cheilostome Bryozoa from Penang and Langkawi, Malaysia, European Journal of Taxonomy 149, pp. 1-34 : 6

Acanthodesia Canu & Bassler, 1919

Remarks

The genus Acanthodesia , with the type species Membranipora savartii Audouin, 1826 (see Taylor & Foster 1994), is here interpreted to include numerous species once assigned to Membranipora but having more robustly calcified colonies, or, alternatively, to Biflustra but generally having encrusting colonies rather than the erect vincularian colonies of the type species of this genus. Although many bryozoologists use Biflustra in preference to Acanthodesia , the critical early astogeny is unknown in the type species of the former genus.

The paucity of skeletal morphological characters – avicularia and ovicells are lacking – makes species identification difficult. Molecular studies are much needed in this genus to clarify its diversity.