Family LEIOSALPINGIDAE d'Hondt & Gordon, 1996

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Introduction

The family Leiosalpingidae was introduced by d'Hondt & Gordon (1996) to include the genus Leiosalpinx Hayward & Cook (1979) and a new genus from New Caledonia, Astoleiosalpinx. The type species of Leiosalpinx was originally described as Alysidium inornata by Goldstein (1882) from Marion Island, and later recorded from Heard Island by Busk (1884) in the Challenger Report. Hayward & Cook (1979) redescribed L. inornatum from 1000-1200m off southeastern South Africa. Colonies are very delicate and. erect, with slender, uniserial autozooids. The reproduction is unknown, but a related species, L. australis (Busk) has been found from New Caledonia, and also occurs from Indonesia and New Zealand (d'Hondt & Gordon 1996). This species broods one to two embryos in a membranous ovisac attached to the frontal membrane near the opercular opening. The ancestrula is erect, and, like that of Scruparia, has a rhizoid and frontally budded zooid (Gordon 1986). Colonies have also been found entangled with other erect bryozoans (Hayward & Cook 1979).

Diagnosis

Colonies erect, uniserial, very weakly calcified, attached by rhizoids. Zooids subconical, with an elliptical opesia and frontal membrane. No ovicells, spines, or avicularia.

General References

Busk, G. 1884. Polyzoa. Pt. I. Cheilostomata. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger 1873–1876, Zoology 10: xiv, 216

D'Hondt, Jean-Loup, & Gordon, Dennis P. 1996. Bryozoa: Cténostomes et Cheilostomes (Cellularines, Scrupariines et Malacostéges) des campagnes MUSORSTOM autour de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. (Résultats des campagnes MUSORSTOM, Vol. 15). Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 168: 55-123

Goldstein, J.R.Y. 1882. Some new species of Bryozoa from the Marion Islands, with notes on Bicellaria grandis. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 18: 39-46

Gordon, D.P. 1986. The marine fauna of New Zealand: Bryozoa: Gymnolaemata (Ctenostomata and Cheilostomata Anasca) from the western south Island continental shelf and slope. New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Memoir 95: 1-121

Hayward, P.J. & Cook, P.L. 1979. The South African Museum's Meiring Naude Cruises. Part 9, Bryozoa. Annals of the South African Museum 91: 1-161

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