Beania maxilladentata Ramalho, Muricy & Taylor 2008

Beania maxilladentata Ramalho, Muricy & Taylor, 2008

(Figs 13–17)

Beania maxilladentata Ramalho, Muricy & Taylor, 2008: 504, fig. 4; Vieira et al. 2010: 8, figs 9–11, 21

Material examined. MMF 44296, 44299, 44309, 32 º38’03.34’’ N; 16º56’04.05’’ W, 11 m, August 2013, on rock samples.

Remarks. The specimens found in Madeira fully match the morphological characteristics given for B. maxilladentata —colony formed by branching uniserial chains of autozooids, zooid length 0.734–0.935 mm, attached to substratum by rootlets with up to 3 pairs of marginal spines and 2–4 oral spines, some of which may be replaced by 1–2 distolateral avicularia. A distinctive feature of the species is the strongly curved avicularian mandible with 1–2 tooth-shaped accessory structures. Madeira specimens exhibit the same patterns of branching, with new zooids formed from distal and lateral buds, and rootlets arising from the proximomedial buds.

This species was previously known only from shallow waters of Rio de Janeiro (Ramalho et al. 2008; Vieira et al. 2010). Ramalho et al. (2008) considered this species endemic to Rio de Janeiro; the presence of this species in Madeira Island could be the result of a recent introduction.

Only one species of Beania was previously recorded in Madeira— Beania hirtissima (Heller, 1867) (see Norman 1909; Waters 1899); it has multiserial colonies and zooids with stout spines so confusion of the two species is improbable.