Bryozoan

1. Habitat-forming bryozoans are here defined as extant, heavily-calcified species which regularly attain sizes over 50 mm in three-dimensions and which contribute significantly to benthic habitat structure as living colonies.
2. Records of habitat-forming bryozoans were collated and mapped, together with information about the location, environment, habitat-forming species, the nature and size of the habitat formed, any associated fauna, and relevant threats and/or conservation measures.
3. Records collated here indicated that habitat-forming bryozoans occurred from ~59 N to 77 S, but that they did not occur frequently in the tropics, being found most commonly in temperate continental shelf environments, on stable substrata in places where water movement was relatively fast and consistent.
4. Habitat-forming bryozoans are particularly abundant and diverse in New Zealand, where 27 species, a quarter of which are cyclostomes, provide habitat over hundreds of square kilometres of seafloor. Other areas where they are particularly rich and/or abundant include Antarctica (Weddell, Lazarev and Ross Seas), the North Pacific around Japan, the northern Mediterranean and Adriatic, and along the southern edge of the North Sea, through the English Channel and around the United Kingdom.
5. Large bryozoans provide habitat for diverse associated assemblages, particularly for other bryozoans, molluscs, annelids, arthropods, cnidarians, sponges, echinoderms and macroalgae.
6. Protected areas which include habitat-forming bryozoans occur throughout the distribution of this frequently unrecognized habitat type, but despite this they are prone to damage by anthropogenic impacts including pollution and bottom fishing.

A new exceptionally preserved marginal marine biota is reported from the Late Ordovician Big Hill Formation of Stonington Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The new Lagerstätte hosts a moderately diverse fauna of medusae, linguloid brachiopods, non-mineralized arthropods and orthocone nautiloids, alongside dasycladalean green algae. The biota is similar to those of Lagerstätten from the Late Ordovician of Canada, revealing an extensive distribution of a distinctive marginal marine palaeocommunity in Laurentia at this time. The Big Hill biota extends the geographical range of exceptionally preserved Late Ordovician faunas in Laurentia and indicates that further examples remain to be discovered.

The Gulf of California is recognized as one of the most diverse and productive seas of the world. Nevertheless, marine native fauna is threatened by the current introduction of invasive species. The aim of this study was to detect exotic invertebrates in marinas, ports and aquaculture farms in this ecoregion. Intensive surveys were conducted at 11 localities in La Paz (Baja California Sur), Guaymas (Sonora), Topolobampo (Sinaloa) and surrounding areas. Seven shrimp farms and one oyster farm were inspected. Twenty three introduced species were detected: eight polychaetes, six sponges, five ascidians, two bryozoans, one mollusk and one copepod. The polychaete Branchiomma bairdi and the ascidian Polyclinum constellatum are invasive. The bryozoan Zoobotryon verticillatum and the polychaetes Alitta succinea and Hydroides elegans are potentially invasive. The remaining species are only considered exotic in the Gulf of California.

Thirteen cheilostome bryozoan species from intertidal habitats of Maceió, Alagoas State, Brazil, are reported here. We describe four new species: Aetea cultrata n. sp., Biflustra marcusi n. sp., Biflustra sphinx n. sp. and Jellyella brasiliensis n. sp. Two other species of Inovicellina, Aetea arcuata Winston & Hayward, 2012, and Aetea curta Jullien, 1888, and four species of Malacostegina, Arbocuspis bellula (Hincks, 1881), Arbocuspis bicornis (Hincks, 1881), Arbocuspis ramosa (Osburn, 1940), and Jellyella tuberculata (Bosc, 1802), are reported on drift algae. Three species of Thalamoporellina are found for the first time in Maceió, Labioporella tuberculata Winston, Vieira & Woollacoot, 2014, Steginoporella magnilabris (Busk, 1854) and Thalamoporella floridana Osburn, 1940.

The transition from uniserial to multiserial forms in the evolution of the bryozoan order Cheilostomata resulted from the change from a proxipetal sequence of development of buds in zooids to a distopetal. Possible morphogenetic mechanisms of this transformation are discussed.

Aim To describe the distribution of biodiversity and biogeographical patterns of intertidal organisms in southern temperate and polar waters. We hypothesized that there would be differences in community structure between the Antarctic, which is most affected by ice, and the Sub-Antarctic and other neighbouring regions. We also hypothesized that rafting and West Wind Drift will be the significant drivers of biogeographical patterns. Additionally, the size, age, isolation, volcanic or glacial history of a region and the presence of large, beach dwelling, mammals and birds would all play a role in determining the level of biodiversity observed. Location South Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Southern Ocean. Methods We examined all available intertidal records from the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic with additional data from neighbouring regions for comparison and context. We compiled 3902 occurrences of 1416 species of high southern latitude intertidal organisms from 229 locations and used PRIMER 6 to perform multivariate statistical analyses. Results The Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic are shown to be distinct biogeo-graphical regions, with patterns driven by a small number of widely distributed species. These wide-ranging molluscs and macroalgae dominate the biogeo-graphical structure of the Southern Ocean intertidal, most likely as a result of rafting in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. East Antarctic intertidal habitats are potentially isolated by the Ross and Weddell Sea ice shelves but represent a great unknown in this biogeographical scheme. Main Conclusions The view that the Antarctic intertidal is a lifeless desert does not hold true, with Antarctic Peninsula intertidal communities being richer and more diverse than those in southern South America and the Sub-Antarctic islands. Changing conditions in the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic intertidal mean that a representative baseline is needed (acquired through standardized and quantitative sampling) to assess future changes and to detect any invasive species.

Post-Cretaceous examples of Electridae, a primitive family of cheilostome bryozoans, are poorly represented in the fossil record, probably because of their thinly calcified zooids and preference for nearshore environments. Two new electrid species are here described from the Lower Miocene (Burdigalian) of Pontpourquey, Aquitaine, France: Electra triaurata nov. sp. and Electra aquitanica nov. sp. Both species belong to extant species

The state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico harbors the highest faunistic and floristic biodiversity of the region; however, to date, research effort has focused on terrestrial flora and fauna. Despite this bias, there is a large amount of dispersed information regarding the coastal and marine biodiversity of Oaxaca. The present study aimed to: 1) update and synthesize existing information to improve understanding of coastal and marine biodiversity; and 2) provide a baseline for future biodiversity studies in Oaxaca. The review of 198 references about Oaxaca's flora and fauna produced 2, 157 species records, from 15 taxonomic groups (Division, Phyla or Class). Nevertheless, knowledge about the fauna and flora of Oaxaca remains scarce compared to other regions, such as the Gulf of California. Additionally, floristic and faunistic knowledge is heterogeneous among the taxonomic groups; for instance, 242 (11 .2 °/o) species represent macroalgae, three invertebrate groups (annelids, crust...

Although hexactinellid sponges occur exclusively in deep and/or cold waters, three species of hex-actinellids have been reported from shallow and warm waters in Oligo-Miocene deposits of the Pirabas Formation in northern Brazil: Aphrocallistes estevoui, A. lobata and Manzonia aprutina. Here we reexamine these fossils and show that they are not hexactinellid sponges but instead comprise three species of cheilostome bryozoans of the genus Celleporaria (Family Lepraliellidae). Two of these are new to science, viz., Celleporaria pirabasensis sp. nov. and Celleporaria triangulavicularis sp. nov., and the third could not be identified to species level due to poor preservation. Colonies of all three species are massive and multilaminar, with irregular layers of zooids produced by frontal budding. Autozooids have marginal areolar pores and a rounded, asinuate primary orifice. All colonies also have suboral adventitious avi-cularia and interzooidal avicularia, although of different shapes and sizes. Celleporaria triangulavicularis sp. nov. has distinctive triangular interzooidal avicularia. The underside of the frontal shield was seen only in Celleporaria pirabasensis sp. nov. and Celleporaria sp., in which it is umbonuloid. Ovicells were only seen in Celleporaria pirabasensis sp. nov. and are cap-shaped. The three species differ among themselves mainly in the shape and position of the adventitious and interzooidal avicularia. The presence of several typical bryozoan traits and the absence of spicule traces or any other sponge features clearly demonstrate that these fossils are bryozoans, not sponges. The change in the classification of these fossils from hexactinellids to bryozoans of the genus Celleporaria eliminates the incongruence of the occurrence of deep-water species in the warm shallow water depositional environment of the Pirabas Formation.

Here we present the taxonomy of the cheilostome genera Adeonellopsis MacGillivray, 1886 and Reptadeonella Busk, 1884 in Brazil. Of the six species previously reported in Brazilian waters, we include redescriptions of Adeonellopsis subsulcata (Smitt, 1873), Reptadeonella bipartita (Canu & Bassler, 1928) and Reptadeonella costulata (Canu & Bassler, 1928). Four new species of Reptadeonella are described: Reptadeonella aspera n. sp., Reptadeonella brasiliensis n. sp. (previously misidentified as Reptadeonella violacea), Reptadeonella cucullata n. sp. and Reptadeonella leilae n. sp. Reptadeonella aspera n. sp., from Bahia State, is characterized by rugose frontal calcification, a tubular peristome, small suboral avicularium and elliptical spiramen. Reptadeonella brasiliensis n. sp. is the commonest intertidal species in NE Brazil; it is distinguished from other Brazilian Reptadeonella in having a nodular peristome, large peristomial pore and zooids with one or two frontal pores frequently replaced by a suboral avicularium and crescentic spiramen. Reptadeonella cucullata n. sp., from Espírito Santo and Bahia states, has a hood-like peristome, large subperistomial areolar pore, suboral avicularium with curved mandible and denticulate spiramen. Reptadeonella leilae n. sp., described from Bahia State, has a frontal shield with small granules, tubular peristome, semilunar to semicircular subperistomial areolar pore and circular spiramen. Diagnostic characters of Reptadeonella species are discussed.

The bryozoan Electra posidoniae Gautier is found solely on the leaves of the Neptune grass
Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, dominating the leaf epifauna of this seagrass. Epiphytes of marine angiosperms
(or seagrasses) often play an important role in ecosystem functioning, for example as food web suppliers. As
dysfunction of the epiphytic component is often implied in human-induced seagrass decline, it is important to
understand the dynamics and life traits of this community in pristine areas. This study involved the monthly
assessment of colonization dynamics, biomass seasonality, and diet composition through measurements of stable
isotopes, in E. posidoniae at a depth of 10 m in the Revellata Bay (Corsica, Mediterranean Sea). Ancestrulae
(i.e. colony founders) appeared towards the end of winter and were very selective in their settlement position
along the leaves of P. oceanica. A maximum of 100,000 colonies per square meter was recorded. Colonies of
E. posidoniae dominated the epiphytic community biomass in early spring, but were overtaken by epiphytic
algae in June. Food shortage could be involved in this reduction in dominance. Although stable isotope ratios
of C, N and S showed that this suspension feeder mainly relies on the water column for its food, other food
sources such as re-suspended epiphytic diatoms could be important in late spring (i.e. after the phytoplanktonic
bloom). Additionally, a contribution of seagrass phytodetritus to the diet of this species cannot be excluded. The
species was almost absent in winter, raising the question of its recruitment in spring. This study confirms the
quantitative importance of this species in the seagrass meadow and explores its role in the relationship between
the water column and this seagrass ecosystem.

Short overview of published data concerning the marineand freshwater bryofauna from the Baltic Sea area with focus on their history,ecology, distribution, species list and taxonomy. More than 140 years history ofthe Baltic Sea studies recorded in the literature were reviewed, and comparedwith results of our actual research conducted during 2001-2004 in Kiel Bay. One species of marine bryozoans – Electra arctica – was first documented inthe Baltic Sea. Some main features of the Baltic bryozoan fauna such asfluctuating occurrences of species in response to oscillations in thehydrographic regime of the Baltic Sea and its open character in respect toKattegat populations are discussed.

Bryozoans constitute an important component of marine-fouling communities of anthropogenic substrata. Many species have been reported as exotic or widespread around the world, typically in ports and harbors of non-polar regions. Here we present the first record of a species of the bryozoan Triphyllozoon in the Atlantic Ocean. Triphyllozoon arcuatum (MacGillivray, 1889), described originally from Australia, is reported herein from natural substrata in Singapore and natural and artificial substrata in Brazil. Although easily recognizable, the species has not been previously reported from anywhere else in the Atlantic. In the latter instance, the species was collected during monitoring of the invasive scleractinian corals Tubastraea spp. on an oil platform originally from Singapore and now located at Todos os Santos Bay, northeastern Brazil. Colonies of T. arcuatum were also found associated with three species of sponges, giving evidence that it is also growing in the natural environment. Todos os Santos Bay is characterized by intense commercial shipping traffic and oil exploration and the finding of T. arcuatum on an oil platform provides strong evidence that it represents a non-indigenous species in the Atlantic. Owing to the possible impact of T. arcuatum in Brazil, further studies and monitoring of its bioinvasion are recommended.

Cosmopolitan nature of the marine bryozoan Electra pilosa was studied to clarify geographic structure and to outline evolution and phylogeography of the species. Several local populations from the Northeast Atlantic (North Sea and Baltic Sea), Arctic (Barents Sea and White Sea) and Indo-West Pacific (New Zealand) were compared. In addition, we examined the closely related species E. posidoniae from the Mediterranean Sea. Phylogenetic analysis based on both 16S and 18S rDNA indicate that the Indo-West Pacific E. pilosa is a sister species to the Atlantic–Mediterranean clade, with the latter including the species E. posidoniae and the Atlantic population of E. pilosa. The topology of the phylogenetic tree leads us to conclude that E. pilosa is a paraphyletic species group relative to E. posidoniae, and a molecular dating of its divergence is consistent to geologic events associated with the closure of the Tethys Sea.

L’alga vermella Lophocladia lallemandii (Montagne) F. Schmitz es considerada una espècie aliena a la Mar Mediterrània. Creix a un ampli rang de substrats afectant les comunitats d’invertebrats. L. lallemandii s’assenta a rizomes i fulles velles, actuant com a epífit, induint una reducció del tamany i del pes de la mata de P. oceanica. Els organismes bentònics sèssils, com el briozou Reteporella grimaldii (Jullien in Jullien & Calvet, 1903) també queden afectats. Reteporella grimaldii  es un briozou Cheilostomata de la família dels Phidoloporidae, descrita com a una colònia de 40mm d’altura i 80mm d’ample, que forma embuts per anastomosis, amb una estructura compacta, acampanada i tridimensional. S’ha tobat associada a rizomes de praderes de P. oceanica de fons rocosos. Aquest briozou és una espècie d’elevada fragilitat enfront dels impactes per busseig, i es considera un bon indicador de les condicions de canvi mediambiental.

La informació sobre la distribució espacial de Reteporella grimaldii en les praderes del fons marí es molt escassa i els coneixements sobre la densitat, distribució de colònies i l’impacte de les macroalgues invasores no ha estat descrita prèviament, de manera que s’ha volgut comparar la distribució espacial i l’abundància de les colònies de Reteporella grimaldii entre els rizomes de Posidonia oceanica a praderes pristines amb els rizomes a praderes epifitades per Lophocladia lallemandii.

L’estudi s’ha enmarcat dins l’àmbit del Parc Natural de Sa Dragonera, a tres localitats aprop de praderes de Posidonia oceanica i de P. oceanica epifitada per l’alga Lophocladia lallemandii, a 6-7m de fondària i, mitjançant transectes lineals amb escafandra autònoma i censos visuals, s’ha quantificat l’abundancia de les colònies de Reteporella grimaldii. La densitat i cobertura total de Posidonia oceanica va esser calculada per cada transecte.

Aquest estudi mostra que la biomassa (en pes sec) de Posidonia oceanica és significativament superior a la de Lophocladia lallemandii. També mostra diferències significatives en les densitats de R. grimaldii entre praderes (ANOVA, p<0.05). Comparativament (fig. 1) es van obtenir de  0.62 a 25.62 colònies •m-2 a praderes invadides (218.75 feixos•m-2) i de 38.25 a 111.25 colònies•m-2 a praderes no invadides (487.5-681.25 feixos•m-2).

S’ha demostrat, per tant, un efecte deleteri a R. grimaldii per la presència de L. lallemandii en quant a densitats de colònies i una clara diferència en el patró de distribució del briozou entre praderes invadides i no invadides. A més, ha quedat patentada la relació entre la densitat de feixos de P. oceanica i la densitat de colònies del briozou. La interacció entre Reteporella i Lophocladia representa una competència per l’espai i un canvi cap a condicions esciàfiles dels rizomes de les praderes de Posidonia.

La fragilitat i la vulnerabilitat d’aquesta espècie de briozou fa que sigui predominant a zones ambientalment estables. Així doncs, ens permet confirmar la hipòtesi de que representen uns bioindicadors per la detecció d’impacte pel canvi global a fons d’herbeis.

We describe the first evidence of sclerobiont bryozoans found loose in the pelagic Maiolica Fm. of the Umbria-Marche Basin (Monte Acuto Massif, Northern Apennines, Italy). The material is represented by three small sub-circular colonies with tube-shaped zooecia radially developing from the centre. These characters are not enough for generic or specific classification, consequently, these cyclostomes have been only identified as belonging to the Suborder Tubuliporina.Calpionellid assemblages allow to constrain the bryozoan-bearing rock sample to the early Berriasian. The occurrence of isolated bryozoans in the Maiolica Fm. enriches the knowledge about the fauna of this unit in pure basinal settings, composed by radiolarians, calpionellids, dinoflagellate cysts and rare macrofossils (ammonites and aptychi), including very rare benthic organisms (gastropods, brachiopods and bivalves). Up to date, no sclerobiont organisms in ‘normal’ pelagicMaiolica facies were known, due to the lack of suitable substrates to be colonised. Encrustation of a planktonic or nektonic hard-shelled organism seems the most parsimonious hypothesis based on our material.

Ernst, A., & May, A., & Marks, S. (2012): Bryozoans, corals, and microfacies of Lower Eifelian (Middle Devonian) limestones at Kierspe, Germany. - Facies, 58: 727-758, 11 figs., 8 tabs.; Erlangen.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10347-011-0289-6 ---  Abstract The Lower Eifelian Meinerzhagener Korallenkalk  (= upper Cultrijugatus Beds) at Kierspe, Sauerland,  contains a rich reefal fauna. Eight bryozoan species are  described, two of them are new: the cystoporate Fistuliporella  kierspensis n. sp. and the trepostome Leptotrypella sophiae n.  sp. The bryozoans from the Meinerzhagener Korallenkalk shows distinct similarities to the Lower–Middle Devonian of  Spain (Santa Lucía Formation, Emsian–Eifelian), and to the  Middle Devonian (Eifelian) of Transcaucasia. The coral fauna comprises five tabulate corals and one rugose coral that document a paleobiogeographic relationship between Central  and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The associated fauna is  represented by brachiopods, ostracods, and echinoderms. The  studied limestones also commonly contain calcimicrobes  represented by three species. The faunal and microfacial  characteristics indicate a shallow marine depositional environment  just above the storm wave base, with a supposed  depth of 20 m, within the photic zone. The nutrient regimewas  at least a mesotrophic. The upper boundary of the Cultrijugatus  Beds coincides with the Chotecˇ-Event that strongly  affected brachiopods, whereas corals and bryozoans were  insensitive to this event. 

Keywords:  Middle Devonian  Germany  Microfacies   Bryozoa  Corals  Brachiopods  Calcimicrobes   Taxonomy  Paleoecology  Paleobiogeography

Ernst, A., & May, A. (2012): Bryozoan fauna from the Lower Devonian (Middle Lochkovian) of Sierra de Guadarrama, Spain. - Journal of Paleontology, 86 (1): 60-80, 12 figs., 10 tabs.; Lawrence/Kansas.

A bryozoan fauna containing 11 bryozoan species is described from the Lower Devonian (Middle Lochkovian) of Arroyo del Agua, Sierra de Guadarrama, Guadalajara, Spain. One genus containing one species is new: rhabdomesine cryptostome Fehlerpora insolita n. gen. n. sp. Six additional new species are described: three cystoporates Cystiramus gracilis n. sp., Fistuliramus guadarramaensis n. sp., and Fistuliphragma tenuis n. sp., and three trepostomes Eridotrypella hispanica n. sp., Boardmanella dubia n. sp., and Leptotrypella inesae n. sp. Four further trepostome species were identified: Leioclema incompositum Duncan, 1939, Minussina spinosoformis Astrova, 1964b, Leptotrypella verisimilis Astrova, 1970, and Leptotrypella vulgata Astrova, 1964b. The studied association is distributed over three different environments. The high energetic environment representing accumulation of debris from bryozoan-coral-pelmatozoan thickets contains 8 species dominated by erect branched species (6 species). Among the debris tabulate corals could be identified, especially branches which most likely belong to Subcladopora? abnormis (Mironova, 1974). The environment with moderate to low wave influence contains only two bryozoan species, one erect branched and one encrusting. The third environment represents bryozoan thickets in situ situated in deeper water. This most quiet environment is characterised by four bryozoan species, dominated by erect species (3 species). Fenestrate bryozoans are absent from the two higher energetic environments, whereas the bryozoan thickets in deeper water contain rare unidentified fragments of fenestrates. The studied bryozoan fauna shows distinct relations to the Lower Devonian (Lochkovian) of Ukraine, one species is known from the Middle Devonian of USA.

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This study describes and discusses bryozoan taxa and borings associated with carbonate fragments and bioclasts from Destacamento Río Salado Member, Canal de las Escobas Formation, mid-Holocene of northeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Three species of encrusting bryozoans were found co-occurring with borings: Biflustra puelcha, Conopeum reticulum and Electra arcuata comb. nov. In addition, bilaminar fragments of Hippomonavella charrua showing considerable surface abrasion were also found among the carbonate clasts. C. reticulum, formerly regarded as a cryptogenic species in Argentine harbours, is present in the Southwest Atlantic at least since the mid-Holocene, so it should be considered as a native species in the area. Borings comprise Gastrochaenolites isp., Trypanites isp., Maeandropolydora isp., Entobia isp. and Caulostrepsis isp. The co-occurrence of bryozoans and borings suggests that the carbonate fragments were transported from an abrasion platform when they were already bored, and then they were encrusted by the bryozoans at the study site, a tidal flat depositional environment.

Three groups of cheilostome bryozoan species, formerly classified in the genus
Electra Lamouroux, and possessing branching spines – the feature strictly discriminating them from all other electrids, are placed in three new genera based on unique combinations of features of spines, cryptocysts, and opercula: Osburnea
gen. nov. is established for the Electa biscuta Osburn; Arbocuspis gen. nov. for Electra bellula (Hincks), and Arbopercula gen.nov. for Electra bengalensis (Stolizcka).

A new species of cheilostome bryozoan of the genus Electra is described from the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Japan. The species Electra korobokkura sp.n. can be distinguished from the closely related species E. arctica by colony morphology and zooid sizes. Zooids of E. korobokkura are distinctly maller, and colonies comprise uniserial to narrow oligoserial chains; in E. arctica, colonies usually form compact fan-shaped patches. In the diagnosis, genetic data are ncluded: partial sequences of the 18S and 16S rDNA. The data can be used for molecular identification of the species.

Samples from the
ESSO petroleum exploration drill core “Groper-1” from the south-eastern Australian continental shelf intersect Early Oligocene sediments
and span a time period that saw the first major glaciations of the Cenozoic (“Oi1” and ”Oi2”). The southern Australian shelf had frontrow
seats to the initiation of the Circum-Antarctic Current and the early expansion of Antarctic ice sheets. The aim of this research is to
correlate patterns in bryozoans faunas with other indicators of palaeoenvironment, and see how they refine the interpretation. Bryozoan
abundances through the core fluctuate widely (0% to 85% of bioclasts), generally apparently in inverse relation to glauconite and often
foraminifera content, likely relating to palaeoproductivity and oxygen levels; but the correlation is inconsistent, and other factors may
have an influence. Taxonomic and morphological composition of the faunas also varies, with the highest abundance in samples generally
coinciding with sea level high-stand, and dominated by a diverse cyclostome assemblage. Increase in percentage of erect articulated taxa
supports the upward shallowing interpretations of one of the sediment cycles.

Bryozoans belonging to the suborder Malacostegina are commonly found in ports and bays around the world. They are often related to bioinvasion events and can be adapted to life on floating substrata, show tolerance to environmental stress and grow quickly when compared to other encrusting bryozoan species. Malacostegine bryozoans are simple morphologically, with few informative characters to distinguish taxa. Even so, the use of consistent morpholog- ical characters in addition to new ones may be helpful in providing confident taxonomic identifications needed for this common group in the fouling invasive community. Here, we provide taxonomic remarks on 13 species of Malacostegina from Bahia State, northeast Brazil. One new species, Conopeum loki n. sp., is described. At least six species report- ed here are originally from the Indo-Pacific region and are considered non-indigenous to the Atlantic Ocean: Biflustra grandicella, Biflustra irregulata, Biflustra okadai nom. nov., Arbocuspis bellula, Arbopercula bengalensis and Sinoflustra annae. Most of these taxa were collected at Todos os Santos Bay, a region with intense shipping traffic, tourism, activities of oil exploration and where other invertebrates, including bryozoans, have been already recognised as exotic.
Although no immediate environmental or economic impact has been reported for the species here described, the detection of these exotic taxa constitute the first step in preventing bioinvasion events.

This study investigates the morphogenesis of eolonies of living bryozoans of the order Cheilostomata and the evolution of the pattern of its development. New data on the morphogenesis of more than ten species of living White Sea bryozoans are presented. The history of the development of colony forms in cheilostome bryozoans from their origin in the Late Jurassie to the present day is studied. A coneept of the evolution of the pattern of colony development, as well as of the development of some zooidal structures, is suggested.
The origin of multiserial colonies from uniserial colonies and ereet colonies from encrusting colonies, the transition from the intrazooidal budding to the zooidal and multizooidal budding, and the reduetion of the intercalary cuticle in the walls of zooids result from two heterochronies in the development of buds (the shift of bud emergence to the earlier stages of development of the matemal zooid and the delay of wall differentiation in buds), which had ensued from selective pressure toward an increase in the colony's growth rate.

The new genus Einhornia is established for five species of cheilostome bryozoans formerly assigned to the genus Electra. The diagnostic features of the new genus are the presence of a single proximedial spine in zooids and a calcified operculum. These characters clearly distinguish
Einhornia from  the genus Electra originally  diagnosed  by the  presence of many spines  in  the  zooids.  The morphological findings are congruent with recently reported molecular genetic evidence for distinction of this genus.

In 1931, Borg distinguished five ‘‘varieties’’ as morphologically differing from what he perceived as the ‘typical form’ of Electra crustulenta (Pallas, 1766). Taxonomic status has not been resolved for all of those morphotypes. One of them was recently recognized as a separate species, E. arctica; two are considered as species in other genera. In the present study the remaining three of Borg’s subdivisions, ‘‘forma typica’’, ‘‘var. baltica’’ and ‘‘var. fossaria’’, were analyzed to evaluate their status and reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within the whole species group based on ribosomal 16S
mtDNA and 18S nDNA. All known E. crustulenta-like species and forms with unresolved status were included: E. crustulenta (including ‘‘f. typica’’, ‘‘var. baltica’’ and ‘‘var. fossaria’’), E. arctica, E. korobokkura, and Electra moskvikvendi sp. nov. A well-supported phylogeny fully concordant for both genetic markers was obtained with maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. Statistical parsimony was applied to the 16S dataset. Only four species were revealed regardless of the method or gene fragment, with E. crustulenta as a single species. There was no evident correlation between the morphotypes ‘‘f. typica’’, ‘‘var. baltica’’ and ‘‘var. fossaria’’ and haplogroups found in E. crustulenta populations. The E. crustulenta species group consisted of two subgroups: E. crustulenta–E. korobokkura and E. moskvikvendi–E. arctica. Divergence of the mitochondrial lineages within the group was dated using a Bayesian relaxed-clock approach. Most probably the diversification of the lineages examined started in the Early Miocene. Electra arctica and E. moskvikvendi sp. nov. are two young species, having diverged during the Pliocene–Pleistocene. The new species described here was found in the Western Baltic Sea, Kiel Bay. An identification key for the E. crustulenta species group is given, based on morphology, morphometry, and geographical and ecological ranges. Additionally, reference sequences of 16S and 18S DNA for each species, which can be used for DNA-based barcoding, have been published.

The state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico harbors the highest faunistic and floristic biodiversity of the region; however, to date, research effort has focused on terrestrial flora and fauna. Despite this bias, there is a large amount of dispersed information regarding the coastal and marine biodiversity of Oaxaca. The present study aimed to: 1) update and synthesize existing information to improve understanding of coastal and marine biodiversity; and 2) provide a baseline for future biodiversity studies in Oaxaca. The review of 198 references about Oaxaca&#39;s flora and fauna produced 2, 157 species records, from 15 taxonomic groups (Division, Phyla or Class). Nevertheless, knowledge about the fauna and flora of Oaxaca remains scarce compared to other regions, such as the Gulf of California. Additionally, floristic and faunistic knowledge is heterogeneous among the taxonomic groups; for instance, 242 (11 .2 °/o) species represent macroalgae, three invertebrate groups (annelids, crust...

The Pirabas Formation in Pará State, Brazil, contains a very rich and diverse fauna of Early Miocene age, including several groups of invertebrates and vertebrates. Previous studies of bryozoans from Brazil included two species of Metrarabdotos ones, but these need revision. The present study describes three new species of Metrarabdotos (M. aquaeguttum sp. nov., M. elongatum sp. nov., M. capanemensis sp. nov.)
collected from two outcrops: Atalaia Beach at Salinópolis city and B-17 Mine at Capanema city.