Revision of the genus Buchneria (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata) from Japan

Abstract. Buchneria dofleini (Buchner, 1924), type species of Buchneria Harmer, 1957,was first described from material collected in 1904–1905 from Sagami Bay, Japan, but the type specimens had not been reexamined since the original description. In this study, I examined specimens of Buchneria from historical collections and material recently collected near Akkeshi, Hokkaido, Japan. Three Buchneria species were detected, two from Sagami Bay that Ortmann (1890) had placed in Escharoides, and one from Akkeshi that Androsova (1958) had described as Porella variabilis. I concluded that Buchneria dofleini is a junior synonym of Escharoides teres Ortmann, 1890; selected a lectotype for Escharoides teres among Ortmann’s syntypes; and established the new combination Buchneria teres (Ortmann, 1890), which becomes the type species of Buchneria. I also established the new combination Buchneria rhomboidalis (Ortmann, 1890) and selected a lectotype among Ortmann’s syntypes. Porella variabilis is transferred to Buchneria establishing the new combination Buchneria variabilis (Androsova, 1958). Here the three new combinations are redescribed and a key to the Japanese Buchneria species is provided. Finally, I transferred Buchneria to Bryocryptellidae on the basis of ovicell and orifice morphology. Therefore, Buchneria now includes a total of three species; Buchneria sinuata Harmer, 1957, a species from Indonesia that has hitherto been placed in this genus, is almost certainly not congeneric with other Buchneria. As far as is now known, Buchneria is endemic to northern Japan and the northern Sea of Japan.