Cradoscrupocellaria bertholletii ( Audouin, 1826 ) Cryptogenic

Ruiz-Velasco, Sofía, Ros, Macarena, Guerra-García, José M. & López-Fé, Carlos M., 2025, Fouling bryozoans in recreational marinas of the Canary Islands (North-Eastern Atlantic) with new records of non-indigenous and cryptogenic species, Zootaxa 5656 (1), pp. 1-63 : 22-24

Cradoscrupocellaria bertholletii ( Audouin, 1826) Cryptogenic

( Fig. 9 ; Table 9)

Acamarchis bertholletii Audouin, 1826: 241 ; Savigny 1817: pl. 11, fig. 3.1–3.5.

Scrupocellaria bertholletii (Audouin) : Ramalho 2006: 127, fig. 28.

Cradoscrupocellaria bertholletii (Audouin) : Vieira et al. 2013: 9 , 10, figs 2, 3.

(A more extensive and detailed list of synonymies can be found in Vieira et al. 2013)

Figured material. Taliarte (26/06/23) (3C on buoy) ( MNCN 25.03/4457).

Other material examined. Marina Tenerife (19/06/23) (3C on buoy), Las Galletas (19/06/23) (1C on buoy), Playa Blanca (29/06/23) (1C on rope), Puerto Calero (29/06/23) (2C on buoy).

Description. Colonies erect and branching, with a bifurcated pattern and biserial branches ( Fig. 9A ).Autozooids elongate, with an oval opesia occupying approximately three-fifths of zooidal length ( Fig. 9B ). Presence of scutum rare, but when present forked and located at the midline of the inner opesial edge ( Fig. 9C ). Single distolateral avicularium on each zooid, including a triangular rostrum with a serrated edge and a curved tip ( Fig. 9D ). Frontal avicularia dimorphic (small avicularium with a tubular base or large with aquiline shape) ( Fig. 9E ). Vibracular chamber almost rounded, located on the abfrontal surface of the zooids, with a single straight seta longer than autozooid ( Fig. 9F ). Ovicells globular with perforated ectooecium ( Fig. 9B, D ).

Remarks. Cradoscrupocellaria bertholletii has been recently redescribed by Vieira et al. (2013). Our material matches this new description, although the presence of the scutum (mentioned as sometimes present) was rare in our samples. Other recently described congeneric species that occur in Macaronesia, like Cradoscrupocellaria insularis Vieira, Spencer-Jones & Winston, 2013 ( Souto et al. 2023), can be distinguished from C. bertholletii in (1) the morphology and frequency of occurrence of the scutum (with forked morphology and rarely present in C. bertholetii , but branched twice and generally present in C. insularis ), and (2) the number of spines on the distal margin of the zooid (one or two spines in C. bertholetii , but seven in C. insularis ), among other characters (see Vieira et al. 2013).

Distribution and status. The native area of Cradoscrupocellaria bertholletii remains uncertain because of its wide distribution, although the Gulf of Mexico has been suggested as its potential area of origin ( Canning-Clode et al. 2013a). This species is known from the Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, New Zealand, Caribbean Sea, Brazil ( Ramalho 2006; Vieira et al. 2013; Baradari et al. 2019) and Macaronesia ( Norman 1909; Arístegui 1984a, b; Canning-Clode et al. 2013a; Souto et al. 2023). In Madeira, it was first detected by Norman (1909) and also observed recently ( Canning-Clode et al. 2013a; Ramalhosa et al. 2019; Souto et al. 2023). This species has been previously reported from different islands in the Canarian archipelago by Arístegui (1984b). Although it has been considered previously as NIS ( Canning-Clode et al. 2013a; Ramalhosa et al. 2019; AquaNIS 2024), in view of its uncertain native origin and following recent studies ( Castro et al. 2023; Souto et al. 2023), we consider it as cryptogenic.

Genus Tricellaria Fleming, 1828

Figures

FIGURE 9. Cradoscrupocellaria bertholletii (Audoin, 1826) (MNCN 25.03/4457). A. View of the colony through SEM. B. Ovicelled zooids. C. Detail of scutum through stereomicroscope. D. Frontal avicularia and ovicell. E. Frontal avicularia. F. Basal view with vibracula through SEM and G. through stereomicroscope. Scale bars: A = 400 µm; B = 200 µm; C, G = 300 µm; D, F = 100 µm; E = 20 µm.