Puellina tutissima Winston, 2016, sp. nov.

Puellina tutissima sp. nov.

(Fig. 18; Table 17)

Material examined. Holotype: VMNH no. 70625. Paratype: USNM 1283244. Additional material VMNH no. 70626.

Etymology. Latin tutissimus, safest, most secure or protected.

Diagnosis. Puellina species with 6–7 orificial spines, 12–15 costae, long, slightly curved hastate avicularia, scattered kenozooids between autozooids and an ooecium with costal patterning.

Description. Colony encrusting, unilamellar, on calcareous substrata (Fig. 18 A). Zooids oval in outline, with raised, moderately wide gymnocystal rim and central costal shield consisting of 14–15 radiating ribs, each with rounded to keeled surface, separated from each other by a series of small lacunae. Zooidal orifice semicircular, but small first pair of costae curved like bows, dipping where they meet in center above central crescentic pore, so that proximal margin of the orifice may appear weakly sinuous (Fig. 18 D). Second set of costae broadly V-shaped, projecting slightly more than succeeding costae. Oral spines 6 or 7, 4 in ovicelled zooids. A pair of long cuticularized papillae projecting from outmost lacunae just proximal to proximolateral oral spines (Fig. 18 D). Outermost lacunae between other costae have tiny such papillae. Ooecia helmet shaped with irregular surface, seemingly composed of crude costal elements (Fig. 18 C). Interzooidal kenozooids may be present, small and generally rounded, with no orifice, but with a rosette-like costal shield in which the outermost lacunae have small cuticular papillae similar to those of autozooids (Fig. 18 E). In addition, interzooidal avicularia with oval cystids and long, narrow, weakly curved acicular mandibles are frequent, particularly at outer edges of colony. Ancestrula oval, tatiform, with smooth gymnocyst and 12 short spines (Fig. 18 D, E).

Remarks.This species is most similar morphologically to Puellina setosa (Waters, 1899), which was described from Madeira and is also found in the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands (Hayward & Ryland 1998). The Floridan species differs in having a larger number of costae, six or seven oral spines (not five), avicularia, an ancestrula with 12 rather than 11 spines and an ooecium with a weak costal patterning, rather than scattered pores and a keel.

Distribution. East coast of Florida, in deep Oculina habitats.