Artificial habitats induce plasticity in colonies of the marine bryozoan Schizoporella errata.

Modular organization provides flexibility for colonial animals to deal with variable and unpredictable environmental conditions since each module has specific tasks within the colony, such as feeding, defending or reproducing. Depending on the selecting pressures, sessile organisms may phenotypically adjust the morphology of each module or modify their density, increasing individual fitness. Here we used the marine bryozoan Schizoporella errata (Cheilostomata, Schizoporellidae) to test how the divergent conditions between two artificial habitats, the location inside a marina (IM) and the external wall of the breakwater (BW), affect colony size and the density of the distinct modules. The density of avicularia and ovicells, modules related to defense and reproduction, respectively, did not differ between habitats. However, colonies growing in the turbulent waters of BW were, in general, larger and had higher density of feeding autozooids than those at IM. Reciprocal transplants of bryozoan clones indicated that trait variation is genotype-dependent but varies according to the environmental conditions at the assigned location. The occurrence of larger colonies with more zooids in BW is probably linked to the easier feeding opportunity offered by the small diffusive boundary layer around the colony at this location. Since in colonial polymorphic organisms each module (zooid) performs a specific function, the phenotypic response is not uniform across colonies, affecting only those modules that are susceptible to variations in the main selective pressures. Understanding the importance of colony-level plasticity is relevant to predict how modularity will contribute to organisms to deal with human-induced environmental changes in coastal habitats.

Exotic species dominate marinas between the two most populated regions in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

Human occupation of coastal areas promotes the establishment of non-native species but information on bioinvasions is usually biased toward the Northern Hemisphere. We assessed non-native species' importance in sessile communities at six marinas along the most urbanized area of the Southwestern Atlantic coastline. We found 67 species, of which 19 are exotic. The most frequent species was the exotic polychaete Branchiomma luctuosum, while the most abundant was the exotic bryozoan Schizoporella errata that monopolized the substrata in three marinas. Along with S. errata, the exotic polychaete Hydroides elegans and ascidian Styela plicata dominated space in the three remaining marinas, while native species were in general rare. We show that communities associated with artificial substrata along this Brazilian urbanized area are dominated by exotic species and that using abundance data along with species identity can improve our understanding of the importance of exotic species for the dynamics of biological communities.

Taxonomy of intertidal cheilostome Bryozoa of Maceió, northeastern Brazil. Part 1: Suborders Inovicellina, Malacostegina and Thalamoporellina.

Thirteen cheilostome bryozoan species from intertidal habitats of Maceió, Alagoas State, Brazil, are reported here. We describe four new species: Aetea cultrata n. sp., Biflustra marcusi n. sp., Biflustra sphinx n. sp. and Jellyella brasiliensis n. sp. Two other species of Inovicellina, Aetea arcuata Winston & Hayward, 2012, and Aetea curta Jullien, 1888, and four species of Malacostegina, Arbocuspis bellula (Hincks, 1881), Arbocuspis bicornis (Hincks, 1881), Arbocuspis ramosa (Osburn, 1940), and Jellyella tuberculata (Bosc, 1802), are reported on drift algae. Three species of Thalamoporellina are found for the first time in Maceió, Labioporella tuberculata Winston, Vieira & Woollacoot, 2014, Steginoporella           magnilabris (Busk, 1854) and Thalamoporella floridana Osburn, 1940.

Taxonomy of recent Adeonidae (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata) from Brazil, with the description of four new species.

Here we present the taxonomy of the cheilostome genera Adeonellopsis MacGillivray, 1886 and Reptadeonella Busk, 1884 in Brazil. Of the six species previously reported in Brazilian waters, we include redescriptions of Adeonellopsis subsulcata (Smitt, 1873), Reptadeonella bipartita (Canu & Bassler, 1928) and Reptadeonella costulata (Canu & Bassler, 1928). Four new species of Reptadeonella are described: Reptadeonella aspera n. sp., Reptadeonella brasiliensis n. sp. (previously misidentified as Reptadeonella violacea), Reptadeonella cucullata n. sp. and Reptadeonella leilae n. sp. Reptadeonella aspera n. sp., from Bahia State, is characterized by rugose frontal calcification, a tubular peristome, small suboral avicularium and elliptical spiramen. Reptadeonella brasiliensis n. sp. is the commonest intertidal species in NE Brazil; it is distinguished from other Brazilian Reptadeonella in having a nodular peristome, large subperistomial areolar pore and zooids with one or two frontal pores frequently replaced by a suboral avicularium and crescentic spiramen. Reptadeonella cucullata n. sp., from Espírito Santo and Bahia states, has a hood-like peristome, large subperistomial areolar pore, suboral avicularium with curved mandible and denticulate spiramen. Reptadeonella leilae n. sp., described from Bahia State, has a frontal shield with small granules, tubular peristome, semilunar to semicircular subperistomial areolar pore and circular spiramen. Diagnostic characters of Reptadeonella species are discussed.

A new cheilostome bryozoan genus, Abditoporella (Hippoporidridae), from the eastern Pacific.

Abditoporella dimorpha n. gen. et n. sp. is described from the Pacific coast of Mexico. It was previously misidentified as Odontoporella adpressa (Busk). Abditoporella seems to be morphologically related to Hagiosynodos Bishop & Hayward, 1989 in having a similar orifice and pseudoporous frontal shield, but is distinguished by having dimorphic zooids. A second species, Hippopodinella turrita Osburn, is reassigned to the new genus as Abditoporella turrita n. comb. Abditoporella is included in the Hippoporidridae.

Bryozoans from rio grande do sul continental shelf, southern Brazil.

The continental shelf of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is predominantly composed of unconsolidated sediments with a few hard substrates represented principally by beachrock. In this area there are elongate deposits of shell gravel material which are interpreted as indicators of the palaeo-shorelines. These Pleistocene deposits are overlapped by Holocene sediments (Recent), but are exposed during erosive events caused by extra-tropical cyclones, which provide the mixture of both sediments mainly during autumn and winter. The few studies on bryozoans made in this area previously recorded seven species, one fossil and the other six from Recent fluvial and marine environments. The aim of the present study was to describe the eight most abundant bryozoan species that occur in the inner RS shelf. Of these, four are new records for RS State (Arachnopusia aff. pusae, Hippomonavella brasiliensis, Turbicellepora pourtalesi, and Lifuella gorgonensis), and the other four are new to science (Chaperia taylori, Micropora nodimagna, Cellaria riograndensis, and Exochella moyani).

Ctenostomatous Bryozoa from São Paulo, Brazil, with descriptions of twelve new species.

This paper describes 21 ctenostomatous bryozoans from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, based on specimens observed in vivo. A new family, Jebramellidae n. fam., is erected for a newly described genus and species, Jebramella angusta n. gen. et sp. Eleven other species are described as new: Alcyonidium exiguum n. sp., Alcyonidium pulvinatum n. sp., Alcyonidium torquatum n. sp., Alcyonidium vitreum n. sp., Bowerbankia ernsti n. sp., Bowerbankia evelinae n. sp., Bowerbankia mobilis n. sp., Nolella elizae n. sp., Panolicella brasiliensis n. sp., Sundanella rosea n. sp., Victorella araceae n. sp. Taxonomic and ecological notes are also included for nine previously described species: Aeverrillia setigera (Hincks, 1887), Alcyonidium hauffi Marcus, 1939, Alcyonidium polypylum Marcus, 1941, Anguinella palmata van Beneden, 1845, Arachnoidella evelinae (Marcus, 1937), Bantariella firmata (Marcus, 1938) n. comb., Nolella sawayai Marcus, 1938, Nolella stipata Gosse, 1855 and Zoobotryon verticillatum (delle Chiaje, 1822).

A new genus of the family Jaculinidae (Cheilostomata, Bryozoa) from the Miocene of the tropical western Atlantic.

Pirabasoporella gen. nov. is introduced for three new bryozoan species from the Early Miocene of the tropical western Atlantic. The genus is placed in the family Jaculinidae Zabala, a peculiar group of cheilostome bryozoans characterised by reticulate colonies formed by uni- or biserial branches that are connected by kenozooidal struts. This colonial morphology superficially resembles colonies of the Paleozoic order Fenestrata (Stenolaemata) and some Recent Cyclostomata. As jaculinid colonies are anchored to soft sediments via rhizoids, however, they differ in life habit from Paleozoic and modern fenestrate colonies, which are firmly attached to stable substrata by an encrusting base.        The three new species are Pirabasoporella atalaiaensis n. sp. from the Brazilian Pirabas Formation, Pirabasoporella baitoae n. sp. from the Baitoa Formation (Dominican Republic), and Pirabasoporella chipolae n. sp. from the Floridan Chipola Formation. Their presence in the Early Miocene western Atlantic represents the earliest record of Jaculinidae, and suggests that the origin of the family, the only living species of which are known from the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, extends well into the Paleogene.        The Jaculinidae is here transferred from the lepraliomorph superfamily Schizoporelloidea Jullien to the umbonulomorph Lepralielloidea Vigneaux owing to the partly umbonuloid frontal shield and non-schizoporelloid ovicell.

Two new species and a new genus of Calloporidae (Bryozoa: Cheilostomata) from the Southwest Atlantic.

The family Calloporidae occupies a basal position in the classification of the Cheilostomata, the relatively simple calloporid morphology seeming to be the basic pattern for the adaptive radiation of cheilostome bryozoans. The ovicells of the Calloporidae may be formed by the maternal zooid or the distal zooid, which can be an autozooid, a vicarious avicularium or a kenozooid. Examination of new calloporid material from the southern Patagonian shelf revealed the existence of two new species and a new genus. Kenoaplousinafissurata gen. nov., sp. nov. is characterized by its distinctive kenozooidal ooecium. The new genus is also deemed to include Aplousina grandipora Moyano, an allied species from the Chilean continental slope. Alderina simplicissima sp. nov., is also described from the Magellanic region.

The effect of epibionts on the susceptibility of the red seaweed Cryptonemia seminervis to herbivory and fouling.

Epibiosis or fouling on living organisms can have direct and indirect detrimental effects, in particular on photosynthetic organisms such as seaweeds. It thus seems reasonable to hypothesize that macroalgae have been selected for the presence or induction of antifouling (AF) defences. The red seaweed Cryptonemia seminervis is usually found in nature with an elevated cover of epibionts. To assess the effect of epibiosis on the susceptibility of this seaweed to herbivory and fouling, the abundance of fouling was evaluated and compared to herbivore consumption (by amphipods and sea urchins) of fouled (bryozoan and sponge) and non-fouled C. seminervis. Attachment of the mussel Perna perna to surfaces treated with extracts from seaweeds with and without epibionts was also assessed. Epibiosis corresponded to ca. 51% of the blade surface of C. seminervis, sometimes covering as much as 90% and up to 51% of the thallus weight, encompassing mainly the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea and an unidentified sponge. Algae colonized by M. membranacea were preferred compared to algae devoid of epibionts, a 'shared doom' effect, either by the amphipod Elasmopus brasiliensis or by the urchin Lytechinus variegatus (p < 0.01). Sponge epibiosis also increased consumption by both herbivores (p < 0.001), suggesting that epibionts may act as lures to herbivores, attracting consumers that otherwise would not feed significantly on the seaweed. Foods containing extracts from fouled C. seminervis were preferred by urchins over the alga devoid of epibionts. However, extracts from fouled alga inhibited mussel attachment when compared to epibiont-free alga. Differences might be a direct detrimental effect of the presence of epibionts. On the other hand, epibiosis may induce the production of AF defences in C. seminervis.