Bicrisia

Matsuyama, Kei, Janssen, Annika, Arbizu, Pedro Martínez, Martha, Silviu O. & Freiwald, André, 2014, Bryozoans from RV Sonne deep-sea cruises SO 167 ‘ Louisville’ and SO 205 ‘ Mangan’, Zootaxa 3856 (1), pp. 100-116 : 103

Bicrisia sp.

( Fig. 3 , A–C)

Material examined. SMF 15000, SO 167 Stn 92, 24.15700° S – 24.15350° S, 176.87333° W – 176.87667° W, South Tonga Arc, 673–788 m, collected 31 October 2002. Not bleached.

Description. Colony erect, articulated, branching, incomplete, comprising only 2 fragments c. 4 mm long ( Fig. 3 , A). Branches biserial, internodes flat, lensoidal in cross section, straight to slightly curved, composed of 3–5 autozooids ( Fig. 3 , B). Autozooidal orifices circular, alternating, short tubular peristome curved towards frontal side ( Fig. 3 , C). Lateral to orifice, often a short process with a single spine ( Fig. 3 , C). Surface regularly perforated by tiny slit-like pseudopores. Gonozooids not observed.

Measurements.

Basal angle 26–41°, σ = 5.6°, N = 5

Length to second zooid 529–589 µm, σ = 28 µm, N = 5

Branch width 123–228 µm, σ = 39 µm, N = 5

Peristome diameter 57–75 µm, σ = 5 µm, N = 15.

Remarks. Measurements were made according to Harmelin (1990). The brood chamber, a feature typically used to distinguish crisiids, is missing. The material is assigned to Bicrisia because of the short internodes and jointed spines in some autozooids, making it different from Crisia , which has no spines in most species.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A – C, Bicrisia sp. A, colony fragment, frontal view. B, close-up of the distal internode in A. C, peristome with a lateral spine. D – G, Candomenipea sp. D, frontal view of small, infertile colony. E, a rhizoid. F, an avicularium. G, two autozooids; note the lateral attachment point for a spine / scutum. Scale bars: A – B, E – F, 300 µm; C, 100 Μm; D, 1 mm; G, 30 Μm.