Notoplites evocatus Jullien 1882

Notoplites evocatus (Jullien, 1882)

(Figs 7–11; Table 2)

Bicellaria evocata Jullien, 1882: 508, pl. 14, figs 21, 22.

Notoplites evocata: Hayward & Ryland 1978: 149, fig. 4; 1998: 260, fig. 85.

Material examined. Lectotype (designated here): MNHN 2193, Travailleur 1881, D. 1, 43°00'40'' N, 11°57'40'' W, 2018 m, 10/6/1881. Paralectotypes (designated here): MNHN 2819, Travailleur 1881, D. 1, 43°00'40'' N, 11°57'40'' W, 2018 m, 10/6/1881; NHMUK 1899.7.1.256, NW Spain, 2018 m, Busk Coll. Other material examined: MNHN 18323, Travailleur, Dr. 2, 41º43’ N, 11º39’40’’ W, 1068 m, 14/6/1881.

Description. Colony delicate, jointed, dichotomously branched; anchored to substratum by stout tubular rhizoids.

Autozooids seeming uniserially arranged, each produced distolaterally from proximal autozooid, but actually arranged in two alternate series. Autozooids elongate, slender, divided into two sections: a proximal tubular section, smooth and imperforate, joined to lateral autozooid; a distal dilated section, turned outwards, with oval membranous area, occupying about one third of autozooid length, oblique to branch axis. A narrow sloping cryptocyst, finely granular. Distal rim of autozooid with 2–5 (commonly 4) stout, basally jointed spines; directed distally and outwards, up to four times as long as autozooid. Occasionally a lateral spine placed midway along opesial margin, broken in all the material examined. Scutum absent. Central autozooid in dichotomy with two distal spines, sometimes down-curved.

Small laterobasal triangular avicularium in some autozooids, mid-length of membranous area; mandible directed outwards. Frontal avicularium proximal to opesia; cylindrical, long, overarching frontal membrane, with small triangular mandible in apex. No other avicularia or vibracula.

Ovicells not present in material examined.

Mean SD Minimum Maximum N Autozooid length 0.700 0.045 0.624 0.784 16 Autozooid width 0.169 0.013 0.144 0.197 16 Opesia length 0.247 0.010 0.226 0.261 16 Opesia width 0.135 0.011 0.121 0.160 16

SD, Standard deviation; N, number of measurements.

Remarks. Notoplites evocatus was originally described by Jullien (1882) from material collected at 2018 m depth by the Travailleur in Galicia Bank, on the NW of the Iberian Peninsula. Currently, three original samples, which we have chosen as lectotype and paralectotypes, are preserved. The species was eventually mentioned by Calvet (1907) from the material collected by the same sampling survey off Oporto, 1068 m depth (MNHN 18323).

Hayward & Ryland (1978) collected many fragments of this species north of the Bay of Biscay, revised its synonymy and offered new data about it. The ovicell was not originally described by Jullien (1882) and is not present in his original material; however, it was figured by Nordgaard (1900, as Menipea normani) and also by Hayward & Ryland (1998). The original material of the species fits well the descriptions and figures by these authors (Hayward & Ryland 1978, fig. 4; 1998, fig. 85), so their material was not re-examined.

The species is very fragile and its spines as well and frontal avicularia often appear broken. The infrequent lateral spine seems to be perpendicular to the opesia; according to Hayward & Ryland (1978) it would be homologous to the scutum of other species of Notoplites. Overall, N. evocatus is easy to identify owing to its long frontal avicularium.

The species has an essentially Arctic-boreal distribution and extends to the Bay of Biscay as well as Bermuda (d’Hondt & Schopf 1984).