Apprehending novel biodiversity—fifteen new genera of Zealandian Bryozoa

Fifteen new genera of cheilostome Bryozoa are described from the New Zealand biogeographical region, centred on Zealandia, between 29° and 59°S latitude from shallow coastal waters to abyssal depths. The new genera are: Cavelliella, Mangana, Recapitulator (Calloporidae), Microblestrum, Stolomicropora (Pyrisinellidae), Otomicropora, Rosemariella (Microporidae), Bioptica, Caesiopora (Romancheinidae), Cheilonellopsis (Lacernidae), Xenogma (Buffonellodidae), Bountyella (incertae sedis), Taylorius (Escharinidae), Fovoporella (Schizoporellidae) and Ramicellepora (Celleporidae). Several new combinations are also recognized, i.e. Corbulella fossa, Fovoporella spectabilis, Kenaplousina canariensis, Taylorius incognitus, Taylorius masoni, Taylorius waiparaensis and Xenogma rhomboidale. Ten of the new genera are nominally endemic to the New Zealand exclusive economic zone. Recapitulator and Microblestrum (on seamounts near the southern part of the Hjort Trench) and Rosemariella (seamount in the Louisville Ridge) occur in extraterritorial waters, Xenogma extends to Australia and Taylorius extends to South Africa. Taylorius is also known from the Miocene and Fovoporella from the Pliocene. Recapitulator and Mangana have plesiomorphies that are novel among Recent Calloporidae (respectively a costate ooecium and ‘pelmatoporine’ elongate adventitious interzooidal kenozooids) but which are found in some Cretaceous calloporids or cribrilinids.