Licornia aff. diadema ( Busk, 1852 )

Almeida, Ana C. S., Souza, Facelucia B. C., Farias, Jamile, Alves, Orane F. S. & Vieira, Leandro M., 2018, Bryozoa on disarticulated bivalve shells from Todos os Santos Bay, northeastern Brazil, with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 4434 (3), pp. 401-428 : 405

Licornia aff. diadema ( Busk, 1852)

( Fig. 3C, D ; Table 3)

Licornia Aff. diadema : ALMEIDA et al., 2017A: P. 293, fIgS 30–33 (CUM SYN.).

Material examined. UFBA 1626, UFBA 1646, UFBA 3317–3320, on valves of Plicatula gibbosa .

Description. Colony erect ( Fig. 3C ), flexible, branching, with internodes comprising 8–12 zooids. Autozooids biserial (triserial at the bifurcation), subrectangular with rounded distal edges. Opesia oval, comprising three-fourth of zooidal length; often with a medial, paddle-shaped scutum ( Fig. 3D , arrow), surrounded proximally by a smooth, narrow cryptocyst; poorly developed gymnocyst; four or five oral spines (two inner, two outer and one distal). Lateral avicularium ( Fig. 3D , circle) with a triangular rostrum and serrated margins placed at the outer distal edge of each zooid. Frontal avicularium ( Fig. 3D , dashed circle) with triangular rostrum and hooked tip at the proximomedial corner of each autozooid. Vibracular chamber conspicuous in frontal view, elongate, with short oblique setal groove. Vibracular setae smooth. Rhizoids ( Fig. 3C , arrow) tubular, sometimes hooked. Ovicell not observed.

Remarks. Licornia diadema ( Busk, 1852) represents a species complex involving many undescribed species ( Tilbrook & Vieira 2012; Almeida et al. 2017a). It is commonly found attached to algae, corals and sponges (Almeida et al. 2017a).

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Brazil (Bahia and Rio de Janeiro) (Almeida et al. 2017a).

Figures

FIGURE 3. A, B. Akatopora leucocypha (MARCUS, 1937), UFBA 1632. A. OVERVIEW Of A COLONY. B. CLOSE-UP SHOWINg AUTOZOOIDS AND KENOZOOIDS (ARROWS). C, D. Licornia Aff. diadema (BUSK, 1852), UFBA 1626. C. BIfURCATINg BRANCH AND A TUBULAR HOOKED RHIZOID (ARROW). D. ENLARgEMENT Of AUTOZOOIDS, SHOWINg PADDLE-SHAPED MEDIAL OPESIAL SCUTA (ARROW), LATERAL (CIRCLE) AND fRONTAL (DASHED CIRCLE) AVICULARIA, AND TUBULAR SMOOTH RHIZOID (DASHED ARROW). E, F. Reptadeonella brasiliensis ALMEIDA, SOUZA, SANNER & VIEIRA, 2015, UFBA 1636. E. GROUP Of AUTOZOOIDS. F. CLOSE-UP Of SOME AUTOZOOIDS, SHOWINg THE SUBORAL AVICULARIUM, AREOLAR PORE (ARROW) AND SPIRAMEN (CIRCLE). SCALE BARS: A, 500 µM; B–E, 200 µM; F, 100 µM.