Two new species of bryozoans, tiny marine invertebrate animals and filterers, have been discovered in Madeira.
Officially named Crisia noronhai sp. nov. nov. and Amathia maderensis sp. nov. nov., the new species are often confused with corals and even with some algae.
These small invertebrates were discovered colonising artificial substrates during sampling of the non-indigenous species monitoring programme implemented by the MARE-Madeira/ARDITI team since 2013.
The study was led by the institution, and the species were described by Javier Souto, an expert in this type of organism, and who has been collaborating for a long time with MARE-Madeira/ARDITI.
“The discovery proves that the waters of Madeira have a great biological diversity, which reinforces the importance of monitoring programmes, including the monitoring of non-indigenous species.” Said a spokesperson for the institution.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Photo: JM
