Cradoscrupocellaria atlantica, VIEIRA & JONES & WINSTON, 2013

VIEIRA, LEANDRO M., JONES, MARY E. SPENCER & WINSTON, JUDITH E., 2013, <p class = " HeadingRunIn " align = " left "> <strong> <em> Cradoscrupocellaria </ em>, a new bryozoan genus for <em> Scrupocellaria bertholletii </ em> (Audouin) and related species (Cheilostomata, Candidae): taxonomy, biodiversity and distribution </ strong> </ p>, Zootaxa 3707 (1), pp. 1-63 : 18-20

Cradoscrupocellaria atlantica n. sp.

( Fig. 7 , Table 2)

Material Examined. Holotype: MZUSP 532, L.M. Vieira coll., Araçá, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil, 7 July 2009, 0–1 m ( Fig. 7A–D ). Paratypes: MZUSP 533–535, same data as holotype; MZUSP 536, L.M. Vieira coll., Araçá, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil, 04 November 2009, 0–1 m; MZUSP 537, Praia Grande, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil, 19 April 2010, 0–2 m. Additional material. MZUSP 538, L.M. Vieira & K.H. Fehlauer-Ale coll., 25°34'26" S, 48°19'07" W, Encantadas, Ilha do Mel, Paraná, Brazil, 16 November 2009, 0–1 m; MZUSP 539–540, L.M. Vieira & K.H. Fehlauer-Ale coll., 25°33'51" S, 48°19'00" W, Pontinha, Ilha do Mel, Paraná, Brazil, 14–15 November 2009, 0–1 m; VMNH 10403.0000 ( Fig. 7E–F ), Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., pilings of dock, A1A, Little Jim Island Fish Camp, Indian River Lagoon channel, North Beach, Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 18 February 1993, 0–1 m; VMNH 10861.0000, Scrupocellaria sp. , J.E. Winston coll., Coon Island, North Beach, Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 3 July 1998; VMNH 11036.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., Walton Rocks, South Hutchinson Island, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 19 February 1999, intertidal; VMNH 11058.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., Sebastian Beach, N. side of Wabasso Causeway (Rte 510), Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA, 21 February 1999; VMNH 11093.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., N. Beach Causeway, E. side of 1st bridge, Indian River, Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 8 April 1999; VMNH 11103.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., Johnson Seagrass bed, HBO1, Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 7 April 1999; VMNH 11952.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston & N. Tuross coll., E. side of North Beach bridge, Route A1A, Indian River, Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 10 April 2000; VMNH 12717.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., South Beach, south side of inlet, Fort Pierce Inlet, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 21 July 1999, intertidal; VMNH 12784.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., North Beach, south side of inlet, Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 30 June 2001, intertidal; VMNH 13143.0001, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., off South Beach, Mellita site #1, Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 31 July 2002, 6 m, dredge; VMNH 13303.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., east side of S. A1A Causeway, South Beach, Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida, USA, 02 July 2002, intertidal; VMNH 13471.0000, Scrupocellaria bertholleti, J.E. Winston coll., Fort Pierce Inlet, S. side beach near Historical Museum, beach drift, 14 July 2003, on drift plastic.

Type locality. São Paulo, Brazil .

Etymology. The specific name atlantica refers to the occurrence of this species on the Western Atlantic coast.

Diagnosis. Chitinous joints passing across opesia in outer zooids at bifurcation (zooids C and D); opesia covering almost entire frontal surface; 2 inner and 2–3 outer distal spines, only 3 distal spines in axial zooid; scutum flattened, regularly branched 3 times, occupying two thirds of frontal membrane; small distolateral avicularium on each zooid; ooecium with regularly spaced rounded pseudopores.

Description. Colony erect, branches with 5–9 zooids. Lateral edge of internodes almost straight; chitinous joints passing across opesia in outer zooids at bifurcation (zooids C and D) and across proximal gymnocyst of inner zooids (F and G). Autozooids almost elongate, slightly tapering proximally, with smooth proximal gymnocyst. Oval opesia occupying almost entire zooidal length, cryptocyst narrower laterally than proximally, sometimes inconspicuous. Scutum branched 3 times, with 5–8 acute tips, inserted at midline of inner opesial border and occupying two thirds of entire frontal membrane. Distal spines unbranched; 2–3 outer and 2 inner spines; axial zooid with 3 distal spines. One distolateral avicularium present on each zooid, conspicuous, 0.046 –0.070 mm long, directed laterally, rostrum triangular with slightly serrated lateral edge, mandible triangular. Frontal avicularia often small, 0.046 –0.070 mm long, triangular, obliquely directed forward. A very large avicularium present on gymnocyst of some zooids, often present on axial zooid, aquiline with raised tubular base, rostrum serrated laterally, slightly curved and directed forward and downward; mandible triangular with hooked tip. Vibracular chamber proximally on basal surface of each zooid, inconspicuous in frontal view; setal groove transverse to internode axis, straight, with smooth seta longer than one autozooid. Single axial vibraculum. A rhizoidal foramen on proximal outer corner of vibracular chamber, absent in axial vibracula. Rhizoids smooth, present in proximal portion of colony. Ovicell hemispherical, with 15–22 rounded and regularly spaced pseudopores; ovicelled zooids with 2 outer and 2 inner distal spines.

Remarks. Ramalho (2006) noted differences between British Cradoscrupocellaria reptans and Rio de Janeiro specimens assigned to Scrupocellaria aff. reptans in the the position of the lateral avicularia, directed laterally in specimens from Brazil and distolaterally directed and often obscured by outer oral spines, in C. reptans . These specimens, as well other colonies collected in Brazil, here reassigned to Cradoscrupocellaria atlantica n. sp., are also distinguished by the branching pattern of the scuta and the presence of smooth rhizoids. Cradoscrupocellaria atlantica is commonly found on algae and drift plastic in south–southeastern Brazil. The specimens from Florida previously identified as Scrupocellaria bertholletii ( Fig. 7E–F; J.E . Winston, unpubl. data) are similar to those here described as C. atlantica in the number of oral spines, shape of scuta, and position and size of basal vibracula. The gigantic avicularia in Floridan specimens are, however, often present on zooids at the internode, while they are present on axial zooids in Brazilian colonies. Despite small differences in the position of the gigantic frontal avicularia between USA and Brazilian specimens, we assign specimens from Florida and Brazil to C. atlantica because of the chitinous joints passing across the opesia in outer zooids at the bifurcation, 4–5 distal spines in each zooid (except axial zooids, characterized by 3 distal spines), shape of scutum, a distolateral avicularium and the shape of the frontal avicularia.

Cradoscrupocellaria atlantica n. sp. is similar to two Pacific species, C. gorgonensis n. sp. and C. osburni n. sp., in the position of the joints at the bifurcation, the shape of the frontal scutum and the presence of a distolateral avicularium on each zooid. Cradoscrupocellaria atlantica n. sp. is distinguished by its 5 distal spines, smaller basal vibraculum compared to C. gorgonensis n. sp. and C. osburni n. sp. and the shape and position of the frontal avicularia.

Distribution. Atlantic Ocean: USA (Florida) and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Paraná states); 0– 7 m.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Cradoscrupocellaria atlantica n. sp. A–D, MZUSP (uncatalogued specimen), part of holotype, São Paulo, Brazil. E–F, VMNH 10403.0000, Florida. A, Frontal surface of branch bifurcation. B, Close-up of branch bifurcation; note the presence of three distal spines in the axial zooid. C, Close-up of ovicelled zooid; note the small lateral and frontal avicularia. D, Abfrontal surface of branch bifurcation. E, Frontal surface of colony; note ovicelled zooids and the variation in size of the frontal avicularia. F, Abfrontal surface of colony.