Autecology of the Cyclostome Bryozoan Crisia eburnea in the Modern Reefs of Bermuda
Cuffey RJ and Foerster B. 1975. Autecology of the Cyclostome Bryozoan Crisia eburnea in the Modern Reefs of Bermuda. Documents des Laboratoires de Geologie de la Faculte des Sciences de Lyon. 2:357-368
The Bermuda population of Crisia eburnea provides unique opportunity to consider the detailed autecology of a modem reef-dwelling cyclostome bryozoan. Crisia eburnea inhabits small sheltered recesses with firm substrates, under corals and rocks. It occurs in the shallow portions of coral knolls and patch reefs. This species is concentrated on Bermuda's broad ledge flats, but is also occasionally encountered on its lagoonal patch reefs and its southeastern narrow barrier reef. Crisia ebumea functions principally as a hidden encruster and secondarily as a cavity dweller in the Bermuda reefs. It there prefers firm substrates in normal-marine, carbonate-rich, well-oxygenated, warm, dimly lighted, clear, quiet, food-rich waters in very shallow, permanently submerged sites inhabited by the tropical-Atlantic reef biota. None of the morphologic variability displayed by Bermuda reefal Crisia eburnea is attributable to the colonies' having grown in different environments.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Cuffey, Roger; Foerster, Bernhard
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Cavity Dweller, Coral Knolls, Crisia eburnea, Morphologic, Patch reefs