Dismantling the Beania magellanica (Busk, 1852) species complex (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata): two new species from European waters

• Published in: Marine Biodiversity
• Main Authors: Souto Derungs, Javier, Nascimento, Karine B., Reverter Gil, Óscar, Vieira, Leandro M.
• Other Authors: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. Departamento de Zooloxía, Xenética e Antropoloxía Física
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer
• Subjects: North Atlantic; Mediterranean; Chile; Spain; Cryptogenic; Pacific; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10347/21533; https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-018-0925-2

New research on bryozoans has determined that formerly widespread species are in many cases complexes of similar, but distinct, species with more restricted distributions. Notwithstanding, the limits of distribution are still unresolved for many taxa, and occasionally a wide distribution is confirmed. Beania magellanica has been considered a widespread species, distributed throughout the Southern Hemisphere, parts of northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. This study examines the Magellanic-type material, together with other historic samples and new specimens collected in the western Mediterranean and Adriatic, and for the first time, presents specimens from the European North Atlantic. Morphological comparisons and biometric analysis show the existence of three different species among the specimens studied. A redescription of B. magellanica based on the type specimen is presented, and two new species are described: B. serrata sp. nov. from the Northeast Atlantic and B. mediterranea sp. nov. from the Mediterranean Sea. These results indicate that B. magellanica s.l. is a large complex of species and that most specimens from different parts of the world must be revised This research was conducted thanks to the funds granted by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, project number AP28954-B29). The work of Karine Nascimento and Leandro M. Vieira was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, project numbers 142058/2015-7 and 422563/2016-1) and by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, project number 88881.135517/2016-01). Part of the revision of the samples was supported by the project “Fauna Ibérica: Briozoos II (Familia Cribrilinidae–Familia Watersiporidae)” (CGL2010-22267-C07-02), co-financed by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spanish government) and FEDER SI