Reteporella aurantiaca, Gordon, 2009

Gordon, Dennis P., 2009, New bryozoan taxa from a new marine conservation area in New Zealand, with a checklist of Bryozoa from Greater Cook Strait, Zootaxa 1987, pp. 39-60 : 50

Reteporella aurantiaca n. sp.

( Figs 29–32 )

Material examined. Holotype: NIWA 46368 . Paratypes: NIWA 46369 , 46370 . Types are all broken from a single larger colony, collected by Kirstie Knowles, 7 October 2007, 5 m depth at Siren Rocks, Taputeranga Marine Reserve , Wellington .

Etymology. Alluding to the orange colour of the live colony (Latin, aurantiacus, orange).

Description. Colony erect, reticulate, orange-coloured, to 36 mm high or broad, the fronds somewhat curled. In ovicelled region of colony, branches generally 2–4-serial, 0.41–1.28 mm across or wider where branches fuse, fenestrae 0.82–1.66 mm long and 0.24–0.86 mm wide. Zooidal frontal shield more or less smooth or faintly textured, bordered laterally by raised narrow ridges, only 2 or 3 areolar pores adjacent to each lateral margin. Primary orifice concealed at bottom of peristomial shaft, transversely oval, c. 0.10 mm wide, no oral spines. Proximal rim of peristome symmetrical, interrupted in middle by labial furrow leading to small labial pore, rim of peristome with 2 or 3 tiny cusps either side of mid-line. Most ovicelled zooids with relatively small adventitious avicularium borne more or less centrally on frontal shield, with acute rostrum directed proximally or obliquely; most zooids distal to reproductive zone in colony lacking avicularia. Small avicularia occasionally replaced by giant avicularia that protrude frontally, with beak-like, upturned rostral tip and pair of acute cusps between tip and cross-bar; mandible triangular, longer (0.12–0.19 mm) than wide. Ovicell c. 0.22–0.25 mm wide, prominent, with conspicuous frontal fissure, no labellum. Abfrontal side of colony with distinct varices, often small adventitious avicularium in area enclosed by varices; often a giant avicularium at proximal end of fenestra, having same characters as those borne frontally.

Remarks. Eight other described species of Reteporella are known in New Zealand waters ( Powell 1967; Gordon 1984, 1989), mostly from shelf depths or greater. In the field, Reteporella aurantiaca can be mistaken for Hippellozoon novaezelandiae ( Waters, 1906) , the only other orange-coloured fenestrate phidoloporid that is encountered in shallow diveable depths around New Zealand, but this species tends to be more robust, having slightly thicker branches and achieving a larger colony size when mature.

Figures

FIGURES 29–32. Reteporella aurantiaca n. sp. 29, Portion of mature colony showing fenestrae and zooids with and without ovicells. 30, Ovicells and giant frontal avicularium. 31, Zooids showing small frontal avicularia. 32, Small and giant abfrontal avicularia. Scale bars: Fig. 29 = 1 mm; Figs 30–32 = 100 µm.