Taxonomy of the bryozoan genera Oncousoecia, Microeciella and Eurystrotos (Cyclostomata: Oncousoeciidae)

Abstract

The selection of Tubulipora lobulata Hincks, 1880 as type species when establishing Oncousoecia is interpreted as a deliberate misapplication of a name, the nominal species T. lobulata having been originally described by Hassall in 1841. Canu is deemed to have created a new nominal species, Oncousoecia lobulata Canu, 1918, which is the valid type species of Oncousoecia. Microeciella Taylor and Sequeiros, 1982 and Eurystrotos Hayward and Ryland, 1985 have each been used to accommodate similar oncousoeciid species with subcircular colonies. The type species of Eurystrotos, Alecto compacta Norman, 1867, has a branching colony‐form and does not differ appreciably from Oncousoecia with which it is here synonymized. Another species, Diastopora suborbicularis Hincks, 1880, previously regarded as being a junior synonym of A. compacta Norman, 1867 (itself a subjective junior synonym of Alecto dilatans Johnston, 1847), has a different ancestrular morphology and an unbranched colony‐form. It is here transferred to Microeciella.

Keywords:

• Bryozoa
• Cyclostomata
• taxonomy
• nomenclature
• skeletal morphology

Acknowledgements

This research was begun during the tenure of a SYNTHESYS grant (European Community‐Research Infrastructure Action under the FP6 Structuring the European Area Program to the project GB‐TAF‐3844) awarded to M. Zaton for a period of study at the Natural History Museum, London. This is very gratefully acknowledged.