Buffonellaria conformis, Martino & Rosso & Taylor & Chiu & Fujita & Kitamura & Yasuhara, 2025

Buffonellaria conformis sp. nov.

Di Martino, Rosso, and Taylor

Figure 52 View FIGURE 52

zoobank.org/ E04D2C6A-0013-4D23-8861-13B536A1839E

Type material. Holotype PMC. B70. 29.7.2024 a, sample 19174 ( Figure 52A–D View FIGURE 52 ); paratype PMC. B70. 29.7.2024 b, sample 19115 ( Figure 52E–F View FIGURE 52 ); Core 19, Daidokutsu cave, Okinawa, Japan, Holocene.

Etymology. Latin, meaning in compliance with, referring to the features of this species, such as the distolateral avicularia and the ooecium with ectooecial fenestra, which are typical and consistent with the generic diagnosis of the genus Buffonellaria .

Diagnosis. Buffonellaria with flat, nodular frontal shield; single or paired oval avicularia, distolateral to orifice and placed above the level of condyles, rostrum smooth directed laterally outwards or slightly proximolaterally, with curved crossbar; orifice with widely U-shaped sinus; ooecium with large, semicircular, ectooecial fenestra, the proximal calcified portion with undulate distal margin and discontinuous from the lateral secondary calcification, endooecium only faintly ribbed.

Description. Colony encrusting, multiserial, uni- to multilaminar. Autozooids distinct, separated by thin furrows, irregularly arranged, irregularly polygonal, longer than wide (mean ZL/ZW 1.24). Frontal shield flat, nodular, imperforate except for one or two small, elliptical marginal pores placed laterally, approximately 20–35 µm from zooidal margins, occurring around zooidal mid-length to distal third, 5–9 µm long by 4–5 µm wide. Orifice slightly longer than wide; anter two-thirds of a full circle, proximal margin short and gently sloping, transitioning into a widely U-shaped sinus occupying roughly half of orifice width; condyles conspicuous, rhomboidal. Avicularia adventitious, single or paired, oval, placed distolaterally to orifice, slightly above the level of condyles; rostrum rounded, smooth, raised, directed laterally outwards or slightly proximolaterally; crossbar complete and curved with convexity opposite to rostrum direction. Ooecium recumbent upon frontal shield of distal zooid, surrounded distally and laterally by thick, secondary calcification; the proximal portion of the partially calcified ectooecium measuring 30–50 µm in length, appearing discontinuous from the secondary calcification surrounding the distal and lateral margins, its distal rim undulose; ectooeocial fenestra semicircular, 88–98 µm long by 125–150 µm wide; exposed endooecium faintly ribbed.

Measurements (µm). ZL 316±32, 271–370 (2, 10); ZW 255±43, 205–333 (2, 10); OL 91±6, 78–98 (2, 9); OW 82±4, 74–89 (2, 9); AvL 46±5, 37–56 (2, 14); AvW 33±4, 27–38 (2, 14); OvL 164±10, 151– 175 (2, 6); OvW 180±8, 168–189 (2, 6).

Remarks. The new species differs from species of Buffonellaria previously reported from Japan. Buffonellaria divergens ( Smitt, 1873) , first described from Florida and later recorded by Hirose (2010) in the Sagami Sea and Sagami Bay, differs in having smaller distolateral avicularia, more distally placed on a well raised cystid, and more proximally directed (see also images of the lectotype in Berning and Kuklinski, 2008, p. 542, figure 3); an additional larger avicularium with acute rostrum proximolaterally to the orifice on one side although inconstant; and in the more terminally positioned orifice with steeper sides to the sinus. Buffonellaria sp. nov. of Hirose (2010) differs in having a coarsely tuberculate frontal shield, and a single avicularium on one side proximally to the orifice; it also lacks the non-calcified central ectooecial fenestra with the endooecium completely covered by secondary calcification, casting doubt that this species genuinely belongs to Buffonellaria . Berning and Kuklinski (2008) also mentioned a record of ‘ Schizoporella biaperta ’ from Japan by Androsova (1958), suggesting the need for re-examination of this material to ascertain its potential conspecificity with their newly described species B. arctica Berning and Kuklinski, 2008 . Buffonellaria arctica is characterized by a distinct elliptical area of exposed endooecium, a more pronounced granulation of the frontal shield, and the presence of numerous, larger marginal areolae. Expanding the comparison to all northern Pacific Buffonellaria species, B. acutirostris Seo and Gong, 2006 is distinguished by its partially pseudoporous frontal shield (see also Seo and Min, 2009); B. bolini (Osburn, 1952) has an additional pair of avicularia proximal to orifice, sometimes supplemented by adventitious avicularia at the distal corners, along with a minutely pseudoporous frontal shield; B.? indistincta (Canu and Bassler, 1929) also has distolateral avicularia directed proximally, a larger avicularium with an acutely triangular rostrum proximal to the orifice, and an erect bilaminar colony with zooids arranged back to back. Southern Pacific species also differ: B. depressa (Phillips, 1900) has paired distolateral avicularia directed proximally, frequent large spatulate avicularia with serrated rostra, and an extremely reduced distal ectooecial fenestra (see Gordon, 1984, pl. 47D); B. biavicularis (Powell, 1967) has distally directed, paired avicularia proximolateral to the orifice, a broader sinus, and coarsely tuberculate frontal shield (see Gordon, 1984, pl. 47A–B); B. christinelloides Gordon, 1984 has a vertical ooecial fenestra facing distally, frequent large spatulate frontal avicularia, paired distolateral avicularia on an elevated cystid, and additional protuberances on the frontal (Gordon, 1984, pl. 47C); B. regenerata (Powell, 1967) is characterized by paired distolateral avicularia with a denticulate rostrum, a distinctive hanging position of the ooecium, exposing the distal margin of the orifice and the distal zooidal margin, and a semilunar ridge proximal to the orifice (Gordon, 1984, pl. 47E). Lastly, B. turbula Gordon, 1989b shows jumbled autozooids due to intensive frontal budding, large marginal areolae, and frequent spatulate avicularia (Gordon, 1989b, pl. 35F).