Mawatarius avilae Figuerola & Gordon & Cristobo 2018, n. sp.

Mawatarius avilae n. sp.

(FIg. 10; TAbLE 12)

Etymology. NAMED AFTER DR CONXITA AVILA, CHEMICAL ECOLOgIST, IN APPRECIATION OF HER FUNDINg SUPPORT OF THIS AND OTHER ANTARCTIC RESEARCH PROjECTS.

Material examined. HΟlΟtype: CRBA-58242, STN PAT 1008BC24 (SAMPLE COATED WITH gOLD), COLONY bRANCHINg, C. 8 MM LONg, WITH PROXIMAL AND DISTAL PORTIONS, SOME bRANCHES bROKEN.

Description. COLONY ERECT, DICHOTOMOUSLY bRANCHINg IN DIFFERENT PLANES; COLONY C. 8 MM LONg. ZOOIDS ARISINg CENTRALLY, bOUNDARIES UNDEFINED. FRONTAL SHIELD DENSELY AND MINUTELY gRANULAR. PRIMARY ORIFICE WITH A MEDIAN CUSP; SECONDARY ORIFICE COMPOSED OF A SHORT PERISTOMIAL RIM AND WITH A DISTINCT PROXIMAL PSEUDOSINUS. NO ORAL SPINES OR AVICULARIA. OVICELL NOT SEEN. AbFRONTAL (bASAL) SIDE WITH AREOLAR-SEPTULAR PORES.

Remarks. Mawatarius aνilae n. sp. IS ONLY THE THIRD SPECIES OF THE gENUS. IT DIFFERS FROM M. inexpectabilis (GORDON, 1985) AND M. secundus GORDON & D'HONDT, 1997 bY bRANCHINg IN DIVERSE PLANES, THE SECONDARY ORIFICE LACKS A DENTICULATE RIM, AND AREOLAR PORES OCCUR ONLY IN THE AbFRONTAL (bASAL) SIDE. FURTHER, M. secundus HAS AN ANVIL- SHAPED LYRULA.

N RANGE MEAN SD

SECONDARY ORIFICE WIDTH 16 0.205–0.260 0.229 0.016

n, number of measurements made; SD, standard deviation