New Colonial Marine Organisms Discovered in Madeira
Posted on June 1, 2015
Scientists have discovered two new species of colonial marine organisms on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Favosipora purpurea, one of the new species of bryozoans, is pictured above. Madeira is home to at least 140 species of bryozoans.
Bryozoans can form colonies that range from a few millimeters to nearly a meter in size. There are 6,000 known species and researchers think there may be as many as 11,000 species of bryozoans in the world. The diversity of bryozoans has been researched in more detail in recent years through modern study techniques and the use of electron microscopy. In this study involving the discovery of new species Spanish and Portuguese scientists analyzed rock samples collected at a depth of 11 meters.
Javier Souto, a researcher affiliated with the University of Vienna and the department of Zoology and Biological Anthropology of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), says in a statement, "This study not only describes two species of bryozoans which are new to science, but six documented species from the island of Madeira and a species considered endemic to Brazil which was found outside those waters for the first time are also described again."
The new species have been named Favosipora purpurea and Rhynchozoon papuliferum. A research paper on the new species can be found here in the journal Zootaxa.