Family ONCOUSOECIIDAE Canu, 1918

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Introduction

The family Oncousoeciidae was introduced for the genus Oncousoecia, defined by Canu (1918), with the nominate type species Tubulipora lobulata Hassall 1841. However, the generic definition was based upon a figure from Hincks (1880), erroneously labelled as T. lobulata, but which was actually of Alecto dilatans Johnston (1847) (Osburn 1933, 1953; Hastings 1963). The designation of A. dilatans as the type species, as a correction of a misidentification, would appear to require referral to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN Art.70).

The colonies are encrusting or erect, forming uniserial or multiserial linear branches or lobes. The zooid peristomes generally are distinct, not forming connate groups, but alternating in arrangement. Gonozooids are simple expansions, not enclosing zooids, with a small terminal ooeciostome. Zooids are simple tubes in uniserial colonies, or tend to merge in multiserial encrusting sections, but usually show the contact between adjacent zooids clearly. The distal tubular portions of zooids arise nearly perpendicular to the substratum.

An encrusting species identified as Stomatopora geminata MacGillivray (1887) is found in southern Australia. However, the zooids in this species form laterally united transverse groups of three to four, rather than being uniserial, as is the case in Stomatopora sensu stricto. This species has inflated gonozooids with small terminal ooeciostomes; it is not easily placed in any known genus, and appears to require a new generic name.

Material in the Museum of Victoria from Bass Strait includes a species which belongs to the genus Anguisia, but this has not been described or identified. The branches are uniserial and bifurcate frequently. The gonozooid is on a small suberect portion, and is surrounded by a radiating group of about 6 zooids.

The earliest verified fossil records of the family are from the Early Jurassic of Wales (Taylor 1993).

Diagnosis

Colony weakly calcified, encrusting, or erect, uniserial or in multiserial lobes. Zooids tubular and simple, with raised peristomes which are not connate. Gonozooids simple, consisting of expanded zooids with a small, terminal ooeciostome.

General References

Canu, F. 1918. Les ovicelles des Bryozoaires cyclostomes. Étude sur quelques familles nouvelles et anciennes. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 4 16: 324-335

Hassall, A.H. 1841. Supplement to a catalogue of Irish Zoophytes. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 1 7: 363-373

Hastings, A.B. 1963. Notes on Polyzoa (Bryozoa). 5. Some Cyclostomata collected by R.C. Osburn in 1933 and 1953. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 13 6: 113-127

Hincks, T.H. 1880. A history of the British Marine Polyzoa. London : John van Voorst 601 pp.

Johnston, G. 1847. A History of British Zoophytes. London : Van Voorst 499 pp.

Macgillivray, P.H. 1887. Descriptions of new or little-known Polyzoa. Part 10. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 23: 34-38

Osburn 1933. Bryozoa of the Mount Desert Region. pp. 291-385 in Procter, W. (ed.). Biological Survey of the Mount Desert region. Philadelphia : Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology.

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

Taylor, P.D. 1993. Bryozoa. pp. 465-489 in Benton, M.J. (ed.). The Fossil Record 2. London & New York : Chapman & Hall 845 pp.

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