Crisia pseudosolena ( Marcus, 1937 )

Ramalho, L. V., Muricy, G. & Taylor, P. D., 2009, Cyclostomata (Bryozoa, Stenolaemata) from Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, Zootaxa 2057, pp. 32-52 : 35-36

Crisia pseudosolena ( Marcus, 1937)

( Figs 2A–F, 3A)

Crisevia pseudosolena Marcus, 1937: 19 ; 1938: 72; 1941: 14; Sawaya 1943: 251; Barbosa 1964: 16.

Crisia pseudosolena: Buge 1979: 214 .

Material examined. Macaé (Bacia de Campos): MNRJ-195, ship hull of Valentin Shashim, 14 December 2002, collector J.E.A. Gonçalves, depth 1.5 m . Arraial do Cabo : MNRJ-013, Forno Harbor, 11 November 2002, collector L. V. Ramalho and D.C. Savi, depth 1 m. MNRJ-196, Farol beach (Cabo Frio Island), 22 January 2003, collector L. V. Ramalho, depth 5 m. MNRJ-197, Forno Harbor , 31 July 2003, collector L. V. Ramalho, depth 6 m. MNRJ-198, Forno Harbor , 6 September 2003, collector L. V. Ramalho, depth 2 m. MNRJ-199, Forno Harbor , 31 July 2003, collector L. V. Ramalho, depth 3 m. MNRJ-200, Pedra Vermelha (Cabo Frio Island), 27 February 2003, collector L. V. Ramalho, depth 5 m. MNRJ-201, Farol beach (Cabo Frio Island), 1 September 1999, collector L. V. Ramalho, depth 5 m. Sepetiba Harbour : MNRJ-123, 12 November 2001, collector IEAPM, depth 7 m.

Comparative material. Crisia pseudosolena: NHM 1948.2.16.68, Santos, Brazil, Marcus coll.

Description. Colonies arborescent, forming small tufts up to 2.6 cm high, strongly calcified, white or yellowish, sometimes resembling calcareous algae ( Fig. 2A). New branches arising alternately to left and right. Internodes linked by black joints or nodes (39–(54)–78 µm long x 48–(79)–97 µm wide), 5–13 autozooids in each sterile internode and 13–18 in fertile internodes ( Fig. 2B). Rhizoids arising laterally from first zooid of an internode ( Fig. 2E). Autozooids tubular and long (601–(677)–776 µm long x 97–(103)–107 µm wide), disposed alternately on either side of branches ( Fig. 2B), slightly curved towards front and midline of the branch. Surface of zooids covered with small, longitudinally elongate pseudopores (10 µm wide) and with transverse wrinkles near distal ends of peristomes ( Fig. 2C, D). Autozooid aperture circular (68–(81)–87 µm diameter) ( Fig. 2C). Gonozooid pear-shaped, narrow proximally and dilated distally (675–(708)–750 µm long x 357–(376)–410 µ m wide). Ooeciostome lacking; ooeciopore opening on the distal wall of the gonozooid (7.8–(9.5)–10.8 µm diameter). Surface densely covered by elongate pseudopores ( Figs 2F, 3A). Gonozooid may be the 5th to 9th zooid in an internode comprising 13–18 autozooids.

Remarks. Marcus (1937) described the new genus Crisevia (type species C. pseudosolena ) based on the absence of a gonozooidal ooeciostome. Buge (1979), however, placed this genus in synonymy with Crisia , stating that the ooeciostome can also be absent in some typical species of Crisia such as C. elongata Milne- Edwards, and C. ficulnea Buge. Buge’s position is followed here and the material from Rio de Janeiro is assigned to Crisia . The absence of an ooeciostome places C. pseudosolena near to C. ficulnea and C. elongata , but it can be distinguished from C. ficulnea which has a short gonozooid (380–470 µm long) and zooidal apertures generally smaller than 75 µm in diameter. Crisia pseudosolena differs from C. elongata as the latter has apertures of larger diameter (80–100 µm), shorter peristomes, gonozooids of smaller size (480 µm long), and a slit-shaped ooeciopore. It is also found in deeper water (up to 120 m). Comparing the Rio de Janeiro material with a specimen of C. pseudosolena deposited by Marcus (1937) in the NHM (1948.2.16.68), great similarities are evident, although the material from Rio de Janeiro has fewer autozooids per internode and the gonozooid is always formed above the 5th zooid. Despite these small differences, the material from Rio de Janeiro is considered to be C. pseudosolena .

Although colonies of C. pseudosolena were found abundantly in Brazil in harbours on artificial substrata and in intertidal zones, the species has never been recorded outside this country.

Ecology. Colonies grow on other bryozoans ( Schizoporella errata , Bugula neritina , Scrupocellaria diadema ), sponges, cirripedes, polychaete tubes, and on artificial substrata (piers and ship hulls). They are fouled by small white sponges and foraminiferans. Depth range is 0–7 metres in Rio de Janeiro State.

Geographic distribution. Endemic to Brazil where it has been recorded from Paraná, São Paulo (Santos and Itanhaém), Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro) and Pernambuco (Recife) states ( Marcus 1937, 1939; Buge 1979). In the study area it was found at Macaé (Bacia de Campos), Arraial do Cabo (Forno Harbor, Farol beach, and Pedra Vermelha).