Taxonomy of Beania Johnston, 1840 (Bryozoa, Flustrina) from Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Abstract

Five species of Beania Johnston, 1840 (Bryozoa: Flustrina) were previously reported from Brazil, but only one, identified incorrectly in the literature as B. intermedia (Hincks, 1881), was reported from Rio de Janeiro State. In this study, we describe three species of Beania from Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro State: Beania klugei Cook, 1968 (=B. intermedia sensu Marcus, 1937), Beania mirabilis Johnston, 1840, and Beania maxilladentata sp.nov. Beania mirabilis is a new record for Rio de Janeiro State. It is characterized by a long basal cauda, approximately as long as the rest of the autozooid, two pairs of oral spines, and usually five pairs of short marginal spines overarching the frontal membrane. Beania klugei is characterized by the absence of both oral and marginal spines, and by its large autozooids and small avicularia. Beania maxilladentata sp.nov. has autozooids with up to three pairs of marginal spines directed outwards; the distal end of the autozooid never overlaps the proximal end of the next zooid in series; and the avicularia are as long as wide, with mandibles with accessory tips. Our study raises the number of species of Beania known in Rio de Janeiro State from one to three, and along the Brazilian coast from five to six.