Bryozoan diversity on a whale bone: an uncommon substrate from the continental shelf off NW Spain.

Carcasses and bones of whales are interesting yet poorly understood habitats for invertebrates and microbial communities. Nevertheless, bryozoans have never before been reported in this particular habitat at the present day. Here, we present the first study on a bryozoan community colonizing a whale bone from the continental shelf off NW Spain at 128 m depth. Thirty-three species of bryozoans were identified, representing 50% of the known bryozoan diversity from this area and depth range. Despite this high biodiversity, no potential whale-fall specialists were detected: all the species are already known in the area, with several being more frequent in shallower or deeper waters. Our results support the hypothesis that the number of specialist taxa on whale-fall habitats decreases drastically on whale remains at depths of less than 260 m. These results also support the theory that whale-falls can serve as intermediate habitats where no other suitable substrate is present, facilitating habitat colonization. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12526-021-01189-6.

Watersiporidae (Bryozoa) in Iberian waters: an update on alien and native species.

Species of the genus Watersipora comprise an important invasive fouling group but are difficult to identify up to species level. This problem, in conjunction with the recent re-description of several member species, requires the revision of previous records and newly collected material in order to more precisely determine their actual presence and distribution. Here, we revise the identity and distribution of alien and native species of Watersiporidae in Iberian waters based on newly collected material, historical collections, and bibliographic data. Four species of Watersipora are now known from here. Watersipora cucullata is the only native species, present in the Spanish Mediterranean. Watersipora subatra seems to have been introduced relatively recently in Iberian and European Atlantic waters and has been expanding to other Atlantic localities. Watersipora arcuata was collected for the first time in Europe at the SW Spanish Atlantic coast in 1990 and recently in Mediterranean marinas. Watersipora souleorum is known in Iberian waters from two localities in the Gulf of Cadiz and in Gibraltar. With the recent redescription of the genus Watersipora, W. complanata is no longer a member. A new watersiporid genus, Terwasipora gen. nov., is described for this species. In Iberian waters, T. complanata comb. nov. is considered a native species, frequent and abundant in shallow waters along the Atlantic coast.

New species and new records of bryozoans from Galicia (NW Spain).

Although the bryozoological fauna of Galicia (NW Spain) is probably the best known of the whole Iberian Peninsula, and perhaps one of the better known in Europe, new studies continue to provide new knowledge. A new species, Schizotheca galaica sp. nov., is described. Eleven species are newly recorded in Galicia: Aetea longicollis, Parellisina curvirostris, Copidozoum planum, Glabrilaria corbula, Haplopoma sciaphilum, Schizomavella (Schizomavella) mamillata, Fenestrulina asturiasensis, Fenestrulina barrosoi, Buffonellaria muriella, Schizotheca divisa and Dentiporella saldanhai; two of them (B. muriella and S. divisa) are also reported for the first time in Iberian waters; four others (Antarctothoa galaica, F. asturiasensis, F. barrosoi and D. saldanhai) are reported for the first time since their original descriptions, and SEM images of A. longicollis and F. asturiasensis are provided for the first time. Moreover, the range of geographical distribution of some species is expanded: the record of S. divisa is the southernmost to date, while the records of S. mamillata, F. barrosoi and D. saldanhai are the most northerly to date. The presence of other four species in Galician waters is confirmed and we document the permanence and range extension of two species recently introduced into our waters (Tricellaria inopinata and A. galaica). urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F8D0ABEF-026E-4FC8-A947-6484249519FA.

Dismantling the Beania magellanica (Busk, 1852) species complex (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata): two new species from European waters.

New research on bryozoans has determined that formerly widespread species are in many cases complexes of similar, but distinct, species with more restricted distributions. Notwithstanding, the limits of distribution are still unresolved for many taxa, and occasionally a wide distribution is confirmed. Beania magellanica has been considered a widespread species, distributed throughout the Southern Hemisphere, parts of northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. This study examines the Magellanic-type material, together with other historic samples and new specimens collected in the western Mediterranean and Adriatic, and for the first time, presents specimens from the European North Atlantic. Morphological comparisons and biometric analysis show the existence of three different species among the specimens studied. A redescription of B. magellanica based on the type specimen is presented, and two new species are described: B. serrata sp. nov. from the Northeast Atlantic and B. mediterranea sp. nov. from the Mediterranean Sea. These results indicate that B. magellanica s.l. is a large complex of species and that most specimens from different parts of the world must be revised.

Diversity and Systematics of Schizomavella Species (Bryozoa: Bitectiporidae) from the Bathyal NE Atlantic.

Eight NE Atlantic and Mediterranean species, which were originally assigned to the genus Schizoporella (Family Schizoporellidae) when introduced, are redescribed and stabilized by typification. Seven of these species are transferred to the bitectiporid genus Schizomavella: S. fischeri, S. glebula, S. neptuni, S. obsoleta, S. richardi, S. triaviculata, and S. triaviculata var. paucimandibulata, which is here raised to species rank. The eighth species, Schizoporella fayalensis, is transferred to the lanceoporid genus Stephanotheca. Schizomavella obsoleta and S. glebula are considered junior subjective synonyms of S. fischeri and S. richardi, respectively. Two new species are described: Schizomavella rectangularis n. sp. from the Strait of Gibraltar, and Schizomavella phterocopa n. sp. from the Great Meteor Bank. A new subgenus, Calvetomavella n. subgen. is established as a result of a phylogenetic analysis based on morphological characters; it includes S. neptuni, S. triaviculata, S. paucimandibulata and S. phterocopa n. sp., together with Schizomavella discoidea and Schizomavella noronhai. The rest of the species remain in the nominotypical subgenus Schizomavella.

New species of Bryozoa from Madeira associated with rhodoliths.

Four new species of cheilostomate Bryozoa encrusting rhodoliths on Maërl beds are described from material collected at a single locality at Madeira Island. These are Coronellina atlantica n. sp., Hippothoa muripinnata n. sp., Chorizopora rosaria n. sp. and Hippoporella maderensis n. sp. A species of Schizomavella is left in open nomenclature. The genus Coronellina is transferred from the family Calescharidae and assigned to Microporidae. The close similarity of C. atlantica n. sp., a non-opesiulate species with deep depressions, to Coronellina fagei with opesiules, implies that the generally accepted evolutionary sequence from non-opesiulate to opesiulate species might not be the rule.