New and little-known deep-sea taxa of umbonulomorph bryozoa and their classification

Abstract

Three new genera and a new family of umbonuloid-walled Bryozoa are described: Brendella (Arachnopusiidae), Hellerasca (Exochellidae), Dhondtiscus (Dhondtiscidae). Subconical Brendella and Dhondtiscus (New Zealand) and erect Hellerasca (South Atlantic) all occur on soft deep-sea Sediments, a mode of life otherwise not well known for umbonuloid Bryozoa. Another deep-water genus, Buchneria (Japan), hitherto considered to be a cryptocystidean ascophoran with a compensation sac, has been discovered to have an umbonuloid frontal shield. Buchneria is considered monotypic and to belong to the Celleporariidae. An interim Classification of known umbonulomorph genera is given. © 1989 Crown.