The genus Adeonella (Bryozoa, Ascophora) in the Mediterranean, with description of two new living species and rediscovery of a fossil one

Abstract

The bryozoan genus Adeonella from the Mediterranean area has been investigated. Analysis includes the two species traditionally recorded as living in this basin: Adeonella calveti Canu and Bassler and Adeonella pallasii (Heller) and the description of two new living species Adeonella pozarae sp. nov. and Adeonella flabellata sp. nov., both from the Adriatic. The fossil distribution of the former two species, going back to the Middle–Late Pliocene and the Late Tortonian–Early Messinian, respectively, has been discussed. A further fossil species Adeonella adae (Neviani), seemingly restricted to the Pleistocene of the central Mediterranean, is reported after more than one hundred years. These records, together with that of Adeonella polystomella (Reuss), already known from this area, add new insights on the history of Adeonella in the Late Cenozoic.

Keywords:

• Bryozoans
• taxonomy
• Europe
• Recent
• Cenozoic
• new species

Acknowledgements

The collection of material has been made possible through co-operation with colleagues, chiefly I. Di Geronimo (University of Catania) and A. Po˛ar Domac (University of Zagreb) and several research projects. Materials were collected mostly during the following oceanographic cruises: LCT/80; PS/81, BRACORS 1983; CR/90; Min 89; Ciclopi 2000; Urania ‘93, ’97; MERC 2006; 4AMP 2007. The captains, researchers and crews are gratefully acknowledged. Several colleagues made available or gifted additional specimens from the eastern Mediterranean basin and the Aegean Sea (J.-G. Harmelin, Station Marine d'Endoume, Marseille), Corsica (Gaston Fredj, Nice), and the southern Adriatic Sea (M. Taviani, ISMAR, Bologna). J. Souto (University of Santiago de Compostela), J.-L. d'Hondt, S. Charbonier and P. Lozouet (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris) are acknowledged for information and for the loan of the A. calveti types. J.-G. Harmelin is particularly thanked for useful discussions. A. Viola, V. Bermanec and H. Posilović helped with the SEM analyses. Financial support was given by PRA Catania University grants to Rosso and by Croatian National Monitoring Programme: Systematic Research of the Adriatic Sea as a Base for Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia to Novosel.

Catania Palaeontological Research Group: contribution number 362.