Family BUFFONELLODIDAE Gordon & d'Hondt, 1997

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Introduction

The family Buffonellodidae was introduced by Gordon & d'Hondt (1997), as a replacement for the name Buffonellidae Jullien 1888. Four genera are included: Aimulosia, Buffonellodes, Ipsibuffonella and Maiabuffonella. The colonies are encrusting; zooids have a smooth frontal wall with marginal septular pores only. The calcification is often semi-transparent, but becomes thicker with ontogeny. The orifice has either a small sinus, or a central lyrula. Adventitious avicularia are either central suboral, or lateral. The ovicell is smooth and imperforate centrally.

Buffonellodes has ovicells like those of the Lacernidae, which have a membranous ectooecium, but has an imperforate frontal shield with marginal septular pores only, and a suboral or lateral avicularium. B. antarctica was described from the Ross Sea and South Orkney Island by Hayward (1995). Schizoporella ridleyi, described by MacGillivray (1883) and S. tumidus, described by Hincks (1881), are both assigned to Buffonellodes, and are common in southern Australia.

The genus Aimulosia resembles Buffonellodes, with a lyrula in the orifice rather than a sinus; it has usually been referred to the Smittinidae. A. marsupium (MacGillivray 1869) was described (as Porella marsupium) by Bock (1982), and is also common in southern Australia.

The family is related to the Lacernidae, but lacks the complex pseudopores on the frontal shield (Gordon & d'Hondt 1997).

Diagnosis

Colony encrusting, weakly to moderately calcified. Zooids with lepralioid frontal shield which has only marginal pores. Primary orifice with a sinus or a lyrula. Avicularia adventitious, suboral or lateral. Ovicell imperforate, with a membranous ectooecium.

General References

Bock, P.E. 1982. Bryozoans (Phylum Bryozoa). pp. 319-394 in Shepherd, S.A. & Thomas, I.M. (eds). Marine Invertebrates of Southern Australia. Handbook of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia Adelaide : Government Printer Part 1 491 pp.

Gordon, D.P., & d'Hondt, J.-L. 1997. Bryozoa: Lepraliomorpha and other Ascophorina from New Caledonian waters. (Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Vol. 18, Crosnier, A., ). Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 176: 9-124

Hayward, P.J. 1995. Antarctic cheilostomatous Bryozoa. Oxford, New York, Tokyo : Oxford University Press 355 pp.

Hincks, T. 1881. Contributions towards a general history of the marine Polyzoa. VI. Polyzoa from Bass's Straits. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 5 8: 1-14, 122-128

Macgillivray, P.H. 1869. Descriptions of some new genera and species of Australian Polyzoa; to which is added a list of species found in Victoria. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 9: 126-148

Macgillivray, P.H. 1883. Descriptions of new or little-known Polyzoa. Part 3. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 19: 191-195

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