Family PEDICELLINIDAE Johnston, 1847

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

After Wasson 2002
The family Pedicellinidae is considered more plesiomorphic than the Barentsiidae (Emschermann 1972); pedicellinid zooids retain a fairly simple zooidal structure, with undifferentiated stalks that have continuous musculature. Five genera are recognised, but four of these (Chitaspis, Loxosomatoides, Myosoma, Sangavella) contain only one or two species, and have not been reported from Australia or New Zealand. The larger genus Pedicellina comprises about twelve species worldwide, four of which are known from Australia (Wasson 2002).

In colder waters of this region, P. whiteleggii Johnston & Walker, 1917 is ubiquitous and can be collected readily from coastal habitats (Wasson 1995). This species is recognised by its spination, by the distinctive, glistening, double rows of large cells on the tentacles, and by its tall, particle-covered larva. In warmer waters, P. whiteleggii is replaced by another abundant species, P. compacta Harmer 1915, which is characterised by short, squat zooids ornamented with filiform spines.

A rarer pedicellinid from Otago, New Zealand, and Tasmania is Pedicellinia pyriformis Ryland, 1965. The stalks grow up to 6 mm high, and calyces can be almost 1 mm high; this species is a giant among the world's pedicellinids. Zooids are also more densely clustered in this species than in other pedicellinids. The wide stolons lack septa; the absence of intervening sterile segments allows zooids to grow very close together along the stolon.

General References

Emschermann, P. 1972. Loxokalypus socialis gen. et sp. nov. (Kamptozoa, Loxokalypodidae fam. nov.), ein neuer Kamptozoentyp aus dem nördlichen Pazifischen Ozean. Ein Vorschlag zur Neufassung der Kamptozoensystematik. Marine Biology, Berlin 12: 237-254

Wasson, K. 1995. The kamptozoan Pedicellina whiteleggii Johnston and Walker, 1917 and other pedicellinids in Australia and New Zealand. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 28: 131-141

Wasson, K. 2002. A review of the invertebrate phylum Kamptozoa (Entoprocta) and synopsis of kamptozoan diversity in Australia and New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 126(1): 1-20

History of changes