New taxa of Japanese and New Zealand eurystomellidae (Phylum Bryozoa) and their phylogenetic relationships

As presently recognized, the small cheilostome bryozoan family Eurystomellidae (superfamily Catenicelloidea) comprises just two genera: Eurystomella Levinsen, 1909, with three Recent species, and Selenoriopsis Maplestone, 1913; with one Recent and two fossil species, Within Eurystomella sensu lato, colonies range from uni-/biserial to multi-serial and the smooth gymnocystal frontal shields of zooids may be entire or have one to several large foramina. Here we describe seven new Recent species of encrusting eurystomellids from New Zealand and Japan. Including species of Selenariopsis, a cladistic analysis was carried out on 11 eurystomellid species and five outgroup species, the latter representing the families Cribrilinidae, Euthyroididae, Petalostegidae, and Catenicellidae. The results of the analysis support restricting Eurystomella to multiserial species with large frontal foramina, median suboral sutures, and basal pore-chambers. Two new genera, both with imperforate frontal shields and uniporous mural septula, are segregated from Eurystomella: uni-/biserial Zygopalme, with a median suboral suture and accessory perforations in the ovicellular kenozooid, and multiserial Integripelta, lacking the suture and accessory perforations. (C) 2002 The Linnean Society of London.