TY - JOUR

T1 - Scorpiodinipora costulata (Canu & Bassler, 1929) (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata), a taxonomic and biogeographic dilemma

T2 - Complex of cryptic species or human-mediated cosmopolitan colonizer?

AU - Harmelin, Jean Georges

AU - Vieira, Leandro M.

AU - Ostrovsky, Andrew N.

AU - Cáceres-Chamizo, Julia P.

AU - Sanner, Jo Ann

PY - 2012/3/30

Y1 - 2012/3/30

N2 - Despite implausible cosmopolitanism, the species Scorpiodinipora costulata (Canu & Bassler, 1929) has been attributed with reservations to small encrusting colonies with similar morphological features whose known distribution is scattered in tropical and subtropical seas: Pacific Ocean (Philippines), Indian Ocean (Oman), Red Sea, SE Mediterranean, SE Atlantic (Ghana) and SW Atlantic (Brazil). This material raised questions about its generic assignment. The genus Scorpiodinipora Balavoine, 1959 is redescribed with Schizoporella costulata Canu & Bassler, 1929, from the Philippines as the type species, as Balavoine misidentified the specimens to define the genus as Cellepora bernardii Audouin, 1826. Moreover, SEM examination of the cotypes of S. costulata showed that Canu & Bassler confused two genera among them. A lectotype and paralectotype were thus chosen from Canu & Bassler's syntypes corresponding with the present morphotype. Hippodiplosia ottomuelleriana var. parva Marcus, 1938, from Brazil, which presents the same morphotype, is provisionally considered as the junior synonym of S. costulata. Considering the broad allopatric distribution of this morphotype across the oceans and the low capacity of dispersal of species with short-lived larvae, it is likely that this material includes several sibling species. However, the role of man-mediated dispersal is not excluded, at least in regions with high shipping activity, such as that comprising the Suez Canal.

AB - Despite implausible cosmopolitanism, the species Scorpiodinipora costulata (Canu & Bassler, 1929) has been attributed with reservations to small encrusting colonies with similar morphological features whose known distribution is scattered in tropical and subtropical seas: Pacific Ocean (Philippines), Indian Ocean (Oman), Red Sea, SE Mediterranean, SE Atlantic (Ghana) and SW Atlantic (Brazil). This material raised questions about its generic assignment. The genus Scorpiodinipora Balavoine, 1959 is redescribed with Schizoporella costulata Canu & Bassler, 1929, from the Philippines as the type species, as Balavoine misidentified the specimens to define the genus as Cellepora bernardii Audouin, 1826. Moreover, SEM examination of the cotypes of S. costulata showed that Canu & Bassler confused two genera among them. A lectotype and paralectotype were thus chosen from Canu & Bassler's syntypes corresponding with the present morphotype. Hippodiplosia ottomuelleriana var. parva Marcus, 1938, from Brazil, which presents the same morphotype, is provisionally considered as the junior synonym of S. costulata. Considering the broad allopatric distribution of this morphotype across the oceans and the low capacity of dispersal of species with short-lived larvae, it is likely that this material includes several sibling species. However, the role of man-mediated dispersal is not excluded, at least in regions with high shipping activity, such as that comprising the Suez Canal.

KW - Biogeography

KW - Bryozoans

KW - Dispersal

KW - Hippoporidridae

KW - Introduced species

KW - Sibling species

KW - Taxonomy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860528280&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.5252/z2012n1a5

DO - 10.5252/z2012n1a5

M3 - Article

VL - 34

SP - 123

EP - 138

JO - Zoosystema

JF - Zoosystema

SN - 1280-9551

IS - 1

ER -