Bryopesanser pesanseris (Smitt, 1873)

Judith L Winston, 2016, Bryozoa of Floridan Oculina reefs, Zootaxa 4071 (1), pp. 1-81 : 59-61

Bryopesanser pesanseris (Smitt, 1873)

( Fig. 33 ; Table 32 )

Hippothoa pes anseris Smitt, 1873: 43 , pl. 7, figs 159, 160.

Escharina pesanseris: Osburn 1914: 207 .

Mastigophora pesanseris: Osburn 1927: 130 ; 1940: 452; 1952: 479; Canu & Bassler 1928a: 133, pl. 21, fig. 9, pl. 34, fig. 4; Hastings 1930: 722; Marcus 1939: 142.

Escharina pesanseris: Cook 1968: 195 ; Long & Rucker 1970: 19; Winston 1982: 145, fig. 77; 1984: 26, figs 53–55.

Bryopesanser pesanseris: Tilbrook 2006: 253 , pl. 55A–C; Winston & Woollacott 2009: 275, fig. 27.

Material examined. VMNH no. 70648, 70649; USNM no. 1283257.

Description. Colonies encrusting, small, unilaminar ( Fig. 33 A, B). Zooids relatively large, about 0.70 by 0.52 mm, oval to subhexagonal, with distinct grooves between. Frontal-shield calcification granular with many small pores. Orifice semicircular, with straight beaded proximal rim and small, narrow, teardrop-shaped central sinus. A low peristome rims orifice and bears 6–8 distolateral spines. Paired latero-oral, distally directed avicularia, with complete crossbars; acute rostra ( Fig.33 C, D) flared into terminal groove to support characteristic webbed ‘duckfoot’ mandibles ( Fig. 33 E, F). Ooecia small relative to zooid size, globular, imperforate.

Remarks. Members of the family Escharinidae (Tilbrook 2006) occur in many tropical and subtropical habitats, but the small size of colonies has until recently prevented study of the amount of diversity that occurs in the group.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Cape Hatteras to Brazil, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico.

Figures

FIGURE 33. Bryopesanser pesanseris (Smitt, 1873): A, portion of colony; B, small unbleached colony, showing ‘ duckfoot’ avicularian mandibles; C, distal end of zooid with ooecium; D, close-up of orifice, showing spines and developing ooecium; E, uncleaned zooid showing avicularian mandibles and zooid operculum; F, close up of base of mandible. Scale bars: A, B, 1 mm; C, 0.3 mm; D, E, 0.1 mm; F, 0.05 mm.

Tables

TABLE 32. Measurements in mm of Bryopesanser pesanseris (Smitt, 1873).

	Lz	Wz	Lo	Wo	Lov	Wov	Lav	Wav	Lavm	Wavm
N	18	18	18	18	12	12	12	12	6	6
Mean	0.692	0.524	0.118	0.101	0.172	0.215	0.090	0.065	0.294	0.219
SD	0.109	0.061	0.009	0.008	0.014	0.025	0.015	0.008	0.066	0.048
Min	0.504	0.414	0.108	0.090	0.144	0.180	0.072	0.054	0.216	0.126
Max	0.900	0.648	0.126	0.108	0.198	0.252	0.126	0.072	0.378	0.252