Family AEVERRILLIIDAE Jebram, 1973

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• Aeverrilliidae Jebram, D. 1973. Stolonen-Entwicklung und Systematik bei den Bryozoa Ctenostomata. Zeitschrift für Zoologische Systematik und Evolutionsforschung 11: 1-48.

Introduction

The family Aeverilliidae was introduced by Jebram (1973) to accommodate the genus Aeverrillia Marcus (1941). The type species, A. armata, was originally described from New England by Verrill (1873) who referred it to the genus Vesicularia. A. setigera has been described in great detail by both Marcus (1941) and by Rogick (1945).

The colony consists of creeping stolon kenozooids which themselves bud pairs of small, cylindrical, semi-transparent autozooids. The autozooids are semi-erect; each has a terminal orifice surrounded by four or more spinous processes. The setigerous collar is particularly well-developed, and is pleated and twisted when the lophophore, which has 8 tentacles, is withdrawn. It expands around the base of the tentacle sheath during feeding. The digestive tract has a large gizzard, formed by four subconical cuticular teeth.

A. setigera was reported from Torres Strait, by Kirkpatrick (1890), and from Low Island on the Great Barrier Reef by Hastings (1932); it is generally a warm water species found in tropical and subtropical conditions round the world (Soule, in Osburn 1953).

Diagnosis

Colony creeping, formed from kenozooids which bud pairs of small autozooids. these have a terminal spinous collar, and a large gizzard.

General References

Hastings, A.B. 1932. The Polyzoa, with a note on an associated hydroid. Scientific Reports of the Great Barrier Reef Expedition 1928-1929 4(12): 399-458

Jebram, D. 1973. Stolonen-Entwicklung und Systematik bei den Bryozoa Ctenostomata. Zeitschrift für Zoologische Systematik und Evolutionsforschung 11: 1-48

Kirkpatrick, R. 1890. Reports on the zoological collections made in Torres Straits by Professor A.C. Haddon, 1888-1889. Hydroida and Polyzoa. Scientific Proceedings of the Royal Dublin Society ns 6: 603-626

Marcus, E. 1941. Sôbre Bryozoa do Brasil. Boletim da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras da Universidade de São Paulo, Zoologia 5 (22, Zoologia): 3-208

Osburn, R.C. 1953. Bryozoa of the Pacific coast of America, part 3, Cyclostomata, Ctenostomata, Entoprocta and Addenda. Report of the Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions 14: 613-841

Rogick, M.D. 1945. Studies on Marine Bryozoa. 1. Aeverillia setigera (Hincks) 1887. Biological Bulletin. Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole) 89: 201-214

Verrill, A.E. 1873. Report on the invertebrate animals of Vineyard Sound and the adjacent waters, with an account of the physical characters of the region. pp. 295-778 in Report of the U.S. Fish Commission. Vol. 1 (1871-72).

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