Presence of rhizoids in two species of the genus Bowerbankia (Bryozoa: Ctenostomata) and their systematic relevance

Abstract

The existence is reported of rhizoids in specimens of Bowerbankia pustulosa and Bowerbankia citrina collected from different Iberian locations. The structure of these rhizoids differs from that of other fixation structures previously reported in Bowerbankia and redescribed here. Rhizoids in both species are probably homologous with those of Amathia, supporting the close relationship between these two genera.

Keywords:

• Amathia
• Iberian peninsula
• NE Atlantic
• systematics

Acknowledgements

Special thanks are due to P.D. Taylor for revision of the manuscript. We are grateful to P. Lozouet (MNHN), and F. Yagüe and J. Sánchez Almazán (MNCN) for their valuable assistance during our visits and the loan of material. Also to J.-L. d'Hondt for his helpful comments, to A. Waeschenbach (NHMUK, London) for communicating unpublished data, and to A. González for helping during the sampling.

This work was supported by the project “Fauna Ibérica: Briozoos I (Ctenostomados y Queilostomados Anascos)” (CGL2006-04167), co-financed by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spanish Government and FEDER.