Remarks on the Bryozoan Genera Spiroporina Stoliczka and Haswellina Livingstone and their Genotypes

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 84, 1956-57, Page 29

Remarks on the Bryozoan Genera Spiroporina Stoliczka and Haswellina Livingstone and their Genotypes By G. H. Uttley [Received by Editor, November 24, 1955.] Abstract Several modern writers have erroneously accepted the view that the genotypes of Spiroporina Stoliczka, 1865 and Haswellina Livingstone, 1928. are conspecific, and that the latter genus must be suppressed in favour of the former. It is here maintained that these genotypes are distinct species and belong to different families. Spiroporina is shown to be a synonym of Porina d'Orbigny, 1852, and must lapse, while Haswellina is reinstated as a valid genus. Revised synonymies and diagnoses of the genera concerned are given. The genus Spiroporina was founded by Stoliczka (1865, p. 103). He described at the same time a new fossil species from the Altonian (Lower Miocene) beds at Orakei Bay, New Zealand—Spiroporina vertebralis Stoliczka (1865, p. 106, Pl. 17, Figs. 6, 6a, 7), but placed it in the Cyclostomata. Waters (1881, p. 334), however, demonstrated the cheilostomatous nature of this fossil. The genus Haswellia was instituted by Busk (1884, p. 171) to include two recent species—Myriozoum australiense Haswell (1881, p. 43, Pl. 3, Figs, 9–11) and Haswellia auriculata Busk (1884, p. 173, Pl. 24, Figs. 10 A–D). Livingstone (1928, p. 71) later proposed the new name Haswellina to replace Haswellia Busk, pre-occupied by Haswellia Miers (1884, p. 311). Canu (1913, pp. 144, 145) in a short diagnosis of Haswellia Busk quoted the two recent species just mentioned as “types” of this genus. He also affirmed that Haswellia australiensis (Haswell), 1881 and Spiroporina vertebralis Stoliczka, 1865 are synonyms recognising the former, although somewhat doubtfully, as a valid species. “Il me semble,” he said, “que les vocables générique et spécifique de Stoliczka devraient avoir droit de priorité, mais cet auteur l'avait si mal etudiée qu'il la classait dans les cyclostomes”. If the two species are conspecific, as Canu believed, he should have recognised Spiroporina vertebralis as the valid species even though Stoliczka had placed it in the Cyclostomata. It will be shown later, however, that these two species are, on the contrary, quite distinct; they belong to different families, and the question of priority is not involved. That Canu, as well as Bassler (1917, p. 58), still accepted the validity of Haswellia australiensis is shown by the fact that they selected this species as the genotype of Haswellia Busk. Bassler (1935, p. 205) later abandoned this view. He accepted the opinion of Canu (1913) and carried it to its logical conclusion, as the latter writer had not done. He selected Spiroporina vertebralis as the genotype of Spiroporina Stoliczka, and agreed with Canu that Haswellia australiensis Haswell, 1881 (the genotype of Haswellia Busk, 1884) and Spiroporina vertebralis Stoliczka, 1865 (the genotype of Spiroporina Stoliczka, 1865) are synonyms. His selection of the latter species as the genotype of Spiroporina therefore, apparently, invalidates Haswellia and its later amendment Haswellina. As already indicated, this conclusion is not justified as the two genotypes are distinct species. Brown (1952, p. 212) supported Bassler in his suppression of Haswellina in favour of Spiroporina but his diagnosis of the latter genus was based, not on the genotype Spiroporina vertebralis but possibly on some species of Haswellina. Bassler (1953, p. 199) in his latest work still maintains the validity of Spiroporina against Haswellina.

The conclusions of the writers mentioned above are based on the erroneous assumption that Spiroporina vertebralis and Haswellina australiensis, speciesis with a somewhat similar zoarial habit, are synonymous. This is not the case; the species are quite distinct and belong to different families. Spiroporina vertebralis with its circular peristome supporting a number of small rounded avicularia and its median ascopore opening into the body-cavity is a true Porina d'Orbigny, 1852, and a member of the family Porinidae (see Brown, 1952, p. 193). Haswellina australiensis with its paired peristomial avicularia and its schizoporellid orifice is a member of the family Schizoporellidae. Spiroporina Stoliczka, being a synoynm of Porina d'Orbigny is therefore invalidated and Haswellina Livingstone is reinstated as a valid genus. Family Porinidae Porina d'Orbigny, 1852. 1852. Porina d'Orbigny, p. 432. 1865. Porina Stoliczka, p. 134. 1865. Spiroporina Stoliczka, p. 103. 1880. Porina Tenison-Woods, p. 25. 1880. Spiroporina Tenison-Woods, p. 23. 1880. Porina Hincks, p. 227. 1895. Porina MacGillivray, p. 103. 1913. Acropora Canu, p. 136. 1935. Porina Bassler, p. 175. 1935. Spiroporina Bassler, p. 205 (in part). 1952. Porina Brown, p. 191. 1952. Spiroporina Brown, p. 212 (in part). 1953. Porina Bassler, p. 193. 1953. Spiroporina Bassler, p. 199 (in part). Genolectotype (selected by Lang, 1917, p. 172): Eschara gracilis Lamarck, 1816, p. 176. Recent. Zoarium free, erect, branching, the branches cylindrical or lobate. Frontal wall perforated. Orifice rounded. Peristome circular or slightly elliptical, salient, subtubular, suporting several small, rounded avicularia. Ascopore median, opening into the body-cavity. Family Schizoporellidae Haswellina Livingstone, 1928. 1865. not Spiroporina Stoliczka, p. 103. 1884. Haswellia Busk, p. 171 (pre-occupied). 1909. Haswellia Levinsen, pp. 296, 297. 1913. Haswellia Canu, p. 144. 1917. Haswellia Canu and Bassler, p. 58. 1920. Haswellia Canu and Bassler, p. 516. 1928. Haswellina Livingstone, p. 71 (new name for Haswellia Busk, pre-occupied by Haswellia Miers, 1894, p. 311). 1935. Spiroporina Bassler, p. 205 (in part). 1952. Spiroporina Brown, p. 212 (in part). 1953. Spiroporina Bassler, p. 199 (in part). Genolectotype (selected by Canu and Bassler, 1917, p. 58); Myriozoum australiense Haswell, 1881, p. 43, Pl. 3, Figs. 9–11. Recent. Queensland. Zoarium free, erect, dichotomously branching, the branches more or less cylindrical, zooecia opening all round the branch. Orifice arched distally, with a median sinus in the proximal margin. Avicularia paired, placed laterally on the peristome on processes which sometimes coalesce above the orifice to form a spiramen. Ovicells hyperstomial, immersed in the distal zooecium. References Bassler, R. S., 1935. Fossilium Catalogus, I: Animalia. Pars 67. Bryozoa. 229 pp. 's-Gravenhage. —— 1953. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Part G. Bryozoa, pp. 1–253. Kansas. Brown, D. A., 1952. The Tertiary Cheilostomatous Polyzoa of New Zealand. 405 pp. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.). London. Busk, G., 1884. Report on the Polyzoa. The Cheilostomata. Rep. Sci. Res. Voy. Challenger, Zoology, X, 30, pp. i–xxiv, 1–216.

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