Predanophora longiuscula ( Harmer, 1957 )

Harmelin, Jean-Georges, 2014, Alien bryozoans in the eastern Mediterranean Sea — new records from the coast of Lebanon, Zootaxa 3893 (3), pp. 301-338 : 327-328

Predanophora longiuscula ( Harmer, 1957)

( Fig. 14 A–C; Table 12 )

Rhynchozoon corrugatum: Waters 1909: 158 , figs 14–16. Non Rhyncopora corrugata Thornely, 1905 .

Drepanophora longiuscula Harmer, 1957: 1081 ; Powell 1967a: 173, pl. 3, fig. 16; Powell 1969b: 36; Dumont 1981: 636; Winston 1986: 16.

“ Microporella ” umbracula: Balavoine 1959: 274 , pl. 5, fig. 3. Non Flustra umbracula Audouin, 1826: 239 .

Predanophora longiuscula: Tilbrook 2006: 283 , pl. 63 A–C.

Material examined. Specimens from Lebanon: 1) Stn 10A, 6 small colonies on lower sides of pebbles; 2) Stn 11A, 3 colonies on Spondylus spinosus shell; 3) Stn 16A, 1 colony on a S. spinosus shell spine. Specimens from the Red Sea: 1) Egypt, South Sinai, Yolanda wreck, 18 m, 15 May 1983, 2 colonies on aluminium sheet (JGH); 2) Egypt, Suez, MNHN, specimen No. 7808, recorded as “ Microporella ” umbracula by Balavoine (1959, pl. 5, fig. 3), Dollfus coll., Al Sayad survey, Gulf of Suez, Stn X, 28–62 m; 3) Egypt, Safaga, SEM photos of specimens from northern Bay of Safaga posted by Ostrovsky et al. (2011a).

Description. Colony encrusting, unilamellar, small. Autozooids short, predominantly ovicellate; frontal shield nodular with 5–8 large, smooth knobs irregularly shaped and distributed, often partially hidden by the ooecium of subjacent zooid, a few small marginal pseudopores. Primary orifice suborbicular, relatively large (L, 98 µm; W, 92 µm); poster low (1/4 orifice length), forming a wide rounded sinus; paired blunt condyles; anter circular, bordered by thin crescentic vertical visor. Peristome formed by proximal collar and lower distal rim in non-ovicellate zooids, higher and tubular in ovicellate zooids, partly concealing orifice, with thick visor arched over proximal edge of ooecium and high thick proximal collar surrounding poster and proximal half of anter. Avicularium single, placed on inner side of proximal half of peristome, directed lateroproximally, crossbar complete. Ooecium hyperstomial, globular, slightly broader than long or vice versa, ectooecium smooth, interrupted by 3 large semicircular or oval foramina (pseudopores), 1 distal and 2 laterally.

Remarks. This small species is easily recognizable by the particular aspect of the nodular frontal shield, the high peristome and the ooecium with large pseudopores in the ectooecium. Surprisingly, Balavoine (1959) mistook it for Microporella umbracula , although the latter has nothing in common with P. longiuscula , and the specimen from the Gulf of Suez (MNHN No. 7808) that he studied and illustrated was well preserved ( Balavoine 1959, pl. 5, fig. 3). Tilbrook (2006) introduced the genus Predanophora for Drepanophora longiuscula Harmer and placed it in the Celleporidae after examining the holotype (NHMUK 1899.7.1.2012) from the Gulf of Suez; Waters (1909) had assigned it to Rhynchozoon corrugatum (Thornely) .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Predanophora longiuscula (Harmer, 1957); A, B from Stn 11 A, Lebanon; C from Ras Muhammed, Red Sea: A, part of colony showing non-ovicelled and ovicelled zooids with tubular peristome and nodular frontal shield; B, ovicelled zooids with adventitious avicularium on inner side of tubular peristome, and ovicells with foramina; C, primary orifice. Scale bars: A, 100 µm; B, 50 µm; C, 20 µm.

Tables

TABLE 12. Predanophora longiuscula, morphometrics of a colony from Stn 11 A.

P. longiuscula	X	SD	Range	N
Az L	312	27	290–340	10
Az W	216	26	195–280	10
Ov L	143	16	120–170	6
Ov W	163	8	155–170	6