Cribrilaria lateralis Ramalho & Moraes n. sp.

(Fig. 5A–C)

Material examined. Holotype: MNRJBRY-1527; Paratypes: MNRJBRY-1401, MNRJBRY-1436: all from Brazil, Amapá state (Sta #3, 03°35.4267’N – 049°07.6028’W), 90 m, on sponge, 26 September 2014, collected by Fernando Moraes & Rodrigo Moura (NHo Cruzeiro do Sul).

Etymology. From the Latin (lateralis, -e) meaning lateral, referring to the lateral orientation of interzooidal avicularia.

Diagnosis. Autozooid with 14–18 costae, the first pair forming an umbo and five oral spines; costae with raised pelmatidium on the outer tip; large interzooidal avicularia with smooth, acicular rostrum oriented laterally; ovicell type A with median suture, a central umbo or short tubercles.

Description. Colony encrusting, multiserial, unilaminar. Autozooids rounded hexagonal, longer than wide [L 300–359–481 (SD 41, N 15); W 208–248– 293 µm (SD 27, N 18)] (Fig. 5A). Narrow gymnocyst visible on most zooids, sometimes more extended proximally; frontal shield with 14–18 costae, relatively flat, with small and raised pelmatidium on the outer costal tips; costae converging to the center, not forming a midline suture; 4–6 small intercostal lacunae between adjacent costae (Fig. 5A, B). A V-shaped apertural bar formed by the first pair of costae, raised at the center forming an umbo and containing a large and elliptical pore (sometimes hidden by umbo) (Fig. 5A, B). Orifice transversally D-shaped [L 39–48–57 (SD 6, N 18); W 62–70– 76 µm (SD 4, N 19)], proximal border smooth, almost straight; five oral spines, four still visible in ovicellate zooids (Fig. 5A). Interzooidal avicularia large [L 252–280– 321 µm (SD 36, N 3)], often laterally oriented, placed on a large, smooth cystid; rostrum acicular with smooth edges (Fig. 5A, B); condyles blunt; mandible shaped as rostrum. Ovicell formed by distal zooid (type A sensu Bishop & Househam 1987), irregular in shape, usually wider than long [L 108–134–159 (SD 14, N 24); W 135–158– 181 µm (SD 12, N 26)]. Ooecial surface smooth, non-perforated and with distinct ornamentations including a median suture, a central umbo or short tubercles (Fig. 5A, B). Ancestrula tatiform with 12 spines around gymnocystal edge, some of them with inwardly oriented apophyses (Fig. 5C).

Remarks. Among cribrilinids reported from Brazil, Cribrilaria lateralis n. sp. resembles Puellina sp. of Winston et al. (2014), which based on the new classification by Rosso et al. (2018) fits better in Cribrilaria, in having five oral spines, V-shaped apertural bar with a lacuna, and flat radiating costae without midline ridges. However, Puellina sp. differs in having 14 costae without an outer, raised pelmatidium, and also lacks avicularia. The colony described by Winston et al. (2014) was poorly preserved (with broken and abraded zooids), impeding further morphological comparisons.

Brazilian specimens with five oral spines have been identifies as C. radiata (Moll, 1803), but this species is considered a species complex and all Brazilian material needs to be revised (Vieira et al. 2008). Harmelin (1970) designated a neotype for C. radiata. Based on the neotype, C. radiata differs from the new species in having larger zooids (L 378–501– 630 µm, W 252–353– 504 µm), orifice (L 48–56– 63 µm, W 85–98– 115 µm), avicularia (L 230–310– 420 µm), and ovicell (L 190–218– 252 µm, W 200–228– 262 µm), a greater number of costae (16–29), and commonly four oral spines. Marcus (1937) described the Brazilian C. radiata as having fewer costae (six to ten), larger zooids, two or three small suboral lacunae, ovicell wider than long, interzooidal avicularia with small cystid (often immersed), and ancestrula with 11 spines without apophyses, therefore different from the new species.

Winston (2005) described C. saginata, a species with interzooidal avicularia laterally oriented, well developed cystid, five oral spines and the same number of costae, but with small suboral pores, absence of pelmatidia on the outer tips of the costae, and larger zooids (L 594–730– 882 µm, W 450–560– 684 µm), avicularia (L 198–320– 468 µm), and ovicells (L 252–260– 270 µm, W 288–290– 288 µm).