Journal of Foraminiferal Research, v. 12, no. 1, p. 13-23, pls.

1 4 , J anuary 1982
NEW LITUOLACEA (PROTISTA, FORAMINIFERIDA) FROM
SHALLOW WATERS OF THE BRAZILIAN SHELF
PAUL BRONNIMANN' AND DIMAS DIAS-BRITO~
ABSTRACT
The new trochamminid genus Sepetibaella, with S .
sepetibaensis, n. sp. as type species, and the new lit-
uolid species Ammobaculoides troelseni occur com-
monly in the shallow marine waters of the Baia de
Sepetiba, Brazil. The morphologic descriptions are
supplemented by a map on areal distribution, and by
data on bathymetry, salinity, and temperature.
INTRODUCTION
The here described new Lituolacea are from bottom
samples taken by Petrobras in the deepest external
portion of the Baia de Sepetiba, about 50 kmWSW of
Rio de J aneiro, Brazil. The geographic situation of the
Baia de Sepetiba, which is separated from the open
ocean by the Restinga de Marambaia and partially
from the Baia de Ilha Grande by a string of islands of
which the largest are the Ilha de Jaguanum and the
Ilha de Itacuruca, is shown by the map in Zaninetti
and others (1977, Fig. 1, p. 162). The marine waters
of both bays stand under the influence of the cold-
water Malvin (Falkland) current. The temperature of
the bottom waters of the Baia de Sepetiba range from
20.5 to 23.5"C, and that of the surface waters from
19.7 to 25.1"C.
Maps of the bathymetry (Fig. 1) and bottom-water
salinity (Fig. 2) of the Baia de Sepetiba, and of the
areal distribution (Fig. 3) of Sepetibaella sepetibaen-
sis, n. gen., n. sp., and Ammobaculoides troelseni, n.
sp. (associated in all samples), show that their main
1 Laboratoire de Paltontologie, Universitt de Geneve, 13 rue des
2 Petrobras, Laborat6rio Central, 81, rua General Polidoro, Bo-
Maraichers, Geneve, Suisse.
tafogo, 20000 Rio de J aneiro, Brasil.
occurrence is in the external area of the Baia de Se-
petiba in waters of normal marine salinity between 6
and 20 m. Their presence between the Ilha de Itacu-
rug6 and the Ilha de Jaguanum in the deepest channel,
which is the major inlet through which the waters of
the Baia de Ilha Grande enter the more restricted Baia
de Sepetiba, suggests that they also occur in at least
the innermost portion of the Baia de Ilha Grande.
Through the channel between the Ilha de J aguanum
and the Morro de Marambaia the waters leave the Baia
de Sepetiba; hence, the main current within the bay
is dextrogyral.
Sepetibaella sepetibaensis and A. troelseni are part
of a rich fauna of lituolids which will be described
elsewhere.
SYSTEMATICS
Suborder TEXTULARIINA Delage and
HCrouad, 1896
Superfamily LITUOLACEA de Blainville, 1877
Family TROCHAMMINIDAE Schwager, 1877
Subfamily TROCHAMMININAE Schwager, I877
Genus Sepetibaella, new genus
Type species. Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, n. sp. Re-
cent. South Atlantic.
13
BRONNIMANN AND DIAS-BRIT0
I
B A ~A DE SEPETIBA
0139 BS Sample Number
BATHYMETRIC MAP
- 8 m u Isobot h Li ne
0 2 4 6 0 IOkm
- *A
I I
I I
1 I
FIGURE 1
Type locality. Baia de Sepetiba, about 50 km WSW
of Rio de J aneiro, Brazil.
Definition. Test free, low trochospiral, not attached.
Chambers axially compressed, elongate; periphery
rounded in side view; devoid of inner structures. Wall
agglutinated, single-layered, imperforate. Aperture
single, areal, elongate, transverse slit or bifid opening
below peripheral edge of septal face.
Remarks. Sepetibaella, n. gen., is monotypic. Other
trochamminid genera with exclusively areal apertures
are Conotrochammina Finlay, 1940, Cystammina
Neumayr, 1889, Entzia Daday, 1883, and possibly
Tritaxis Schubert, 1921. Conotrochammina differs
from Sepetibaella by its enrollment and by the single
rounded aperture in the center of the septal face, Cys-
tammina by its enrollment and by the areal slit near
the base of the septal face, Entzia by the symmetri-
cally positioned, rounded, multiple areal openings,
and finally Tritaxis by the ovate, apparently areal
opening near the base of the septal face.
Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, n. sp.
P1. 1, Figs. 1-4, 10; P1. 2, Figs. 1-10;
PI. 3, Figs. 9, 10; P1. 4, Figs. 1-8
Holotype. The holotype of Sepetibaella sepeti-
baensis, n. sp. is the right-coiled specimen shown by
its spiral side (Pl. 4, Fig. 6). It is from sample BS 122,
Baia de Sepetiba, about 50 km WSW of Rio de J aneiro,
Brazil (see bathymetric map, Fig. 1; also map in Zani-
netti and others, 1977, Fig. 1). The length of the ho-
lotype is 260 pm, its maximum width 180 pm and its
axial height 100 pm.
Description of the holotype. The tightly coiled, ax-
ially strongly compressed low trochospire is of ovoid
outline as seen in spiralhmbilical view. In edge view
the periphery is rounded, the spiral side low convex
and the umbilical side slightly concave. The slit-like
transverse areal aperture lies below the peripheral
edge of the final septum. Because of the slight overlap
of the radially elongate chambers of the final whorl on
14
NEW LITUOLACEA FROM BRAZIL
30 - 40 960
I8 - 30 %o
9 - 18 %.
f " " 1
0 2 4 6 8 1Okm
MAP OF SALI NI TY
OF BOTTOM WATERS
I I I I
1 I
FIGURE 2
the early enrollment, the axial area is somewhat de-
pressed on the spiral side. The umbilical side is char-
acterized by a distinct but shallow axial depression.
As the enrollment is tight, no previously formed cham-
bers are exposed in the center of the axial depression.
The axially compressed chambers become, in the final
stage of the enrollment, radially elongate and narrow
tangentially. The final chamber as seen on the spiral
side measures at the periphery about 135 pm in radial
and about 85 pm in tangential direction.
The trochospiral asymmetry of the test is not very
distinct, but close observation shows that the spiral
and umbilical sides are different and that the chambers
are asymmetric as seen in apertural view. The radial
sutures on the spiral side are well defined, slightly
curved in the final portion, but not recognizable in the
early portion of the test due to the rather coarse ag-
glutinate. The spiral suture is defined by the axial tips
of the overlapping chambers. Umbilically , the radial
sutures are straight and somewhat oblique. The final
whorl is made up of nine chambers. The total numbers
of chambers and coils of the holotype are unknown.
The morphologically similar paratype (Pl. 3, Fig. 9)
consists of 18 chambers, including the subglobular
proloculus, enrolled in about two volutions. The single
aperture is an areal incurved transverse slit of about
35 pm length near the peripheral edge of the septal face,
quite similar to that shown by the paratype (Pl. 4, Fig.
7). The aperture is devoid of lip-like structures.
The wall is coarsely agglutinated with quartz grains
of angular shapes and of strongly varying dimensions.
One of the larger quartz elements measures about 150
pm in length. There is not much difference in the agglu-
tination between umbilical and spiral sides. Only a
small amount of organic cement seems to occur in the
single-layered and imperforate walls. Their color is
light grey.
Remarks on the illustrated paratypes. Five scanning
photographs of paratypes show either the umbilical
(Pl. 1, Figs. 2, 3, 10) or the spiral side (Pl. 1, Figs. 1,
15
BRONNIMANN AND DIAS-BRIT0
MAP OF DISTRIBUTION ANC
11 - 50 Speci mens FREQUENCY OF SEPETIBAELL
SEP ETI BAENSI S AND TROEL
SENIA TROELSENI
( UNDI FFERENTI ATED )
[3 1 - 10 Speci mens
0 2 4 6 8 1Okm
t L' ' . J
I 1 I I
FIGURE 3
4). The overall morphology of the paratypes is that
described for the holotype except that the final cham-
bers of the paratype (Pl. 1, Fig. 2) are more elongate
than those of the holotype. This may suggest a ten-
dency toward uncoiling. The spiral side may be flat to
convex and the depression over the initial portion is
less distinct than in the holotype. The trochospirality
is usually well expressed by the asymmetry of the test
as seen in edge view (Pl. 4, Figs. 1-4). The number of
chambers of the final whorl varies from nine to 13. As
in the holotype, it was not possible to determine in the
illustrated paratypes the total numbers of chambers or
coils formed during ontogeny. The apertural features
are illustrated by the paratypes (Pl. 4, Figs. 1, 3-5, 7,
8). The aperture is in all cases an areal opening just
below the peripheral edge of the relatively flat septal
face and typically represented by a transverse, straight
or slightly incurved (convexity toward the periphery),
PLATE 1
Figs. 1-4, I O are paratypes of Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, n. gen., n. SP. Figs. 5-9 are of Ammobaculoides troelseni, n. sp.
I Spiral side, ~ 4 8 0 . 5 Holotype, x340.
2 Umbilical side, ~ 3 2 0 . 6 X1,050.
3 Umbilical side, ~ 3 9 0 . 7 x310.
4 Spiral side, X420. 8 x330.
10 Umbilical side, ~ 3 8 0 . 9 x300.
All from sample BS 122, Baia de Sepetiba.
16
NEW LITUOLACEA FROM BRAZIL
17
BRONNIMANN AND DIAS-BRIT0
elongate slit. In one specimen (Pl. 4, Fig. 5) the ap-
erture is a bifid areal opening.
The dimensions in microns of the tests of the para-
types (Pl. 1 , Figs. 1-4, 10) are as follows: length 240-
400, width 180-240, and axial height 80-120. Aggluti-
nation and color are as in the holotype.
Optical sections of paratypes placed in a clearing
liquid are illustrated on P1. 2. Also shown are camera
lucida drawings of two paratypes illustrated on P1. 3,
Fig. 9 (see spiral view, P1. 2, Fig. 6) and Fig. 10 (see
umbilical view, P1. 2, Fig. 2). The paratypes on P1. 2
are grouped in pairs showing the optical sections in
umbilical and spiral views. The walls are throughout
single-layered, imperforate and with little organic sub-
stance between the quartz grains. The apertural faces
are thinner than the peripheral walls (see P1. 2, Figs.
3, 5). The peripheral wall of the paratype (Pl. 2, Figs.
7, 8) is 5 to 10 pm thick. The aperture is a single areal
opening below the peripheral edge of each chamber.
It is usually well depicted in the final septum, and in
some of the optical sections it can also be recognized
in preceding septa in the same subperipheric position.
The final aperture of the specimen (Pl. 2, Figs. 7, 8)
has a height of about 20 pm, although in other paratypes
it may go up to 30 pm. The borders of the apertures
appear occasionally to be slightly upturned but no lip-
like structures are developed. The final chamber of the
paratype (Pl. 2, Fig. 3, spiral view) is about 125 pm long
and at the periphery about 60 pm wide.
Occurrence. Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, n. sp. was
encountered in the relatively cold, marine waters in
the deepest external portion of the Baia de Sepetiba,
and in the major inlet between Ilha de Itacuruch and
Ilha de J aguanum connecting the Baia de Ilha Grande
with the Baia de Sepetiba.
Family LITUOLIDAE de Blainville, 1825
Subfamily LITUOLINAE de Blainville, 1825
Genus Ammobaculoides Plummer, 1932
Type species. Ammobaculoides navarroensis Plum-
Remarks. Ammobaculoides was proposed by Plum-
mer. Upper Cretaceous.
TABLE 1
Measurements in microns based on the optical sections of PI. 2.
Total
number Number Diameter
of of of pro-
Diameter of test chambers chambers loculus
mcl. in final incl.
Specimen Max. Min. proloculus whorl walls
Figs. 1, 2 260 190 - 17 9 20
Figs. 3, 4 265 165 17 9
-
Figs. 5, 6 225 160 18 9 25
Figs. 7, 8 275 200 15 '9 30
8% 20 Figs. 9, 10 195 170 19
mer for agglutinated foraminifera, insoluble in acid,
with early chambers in planispiral coil, later chambers
biserially and finally uniserially arranged. In the pla-
nispiral and biserial portions the single aperture is in-
teriomarginal, and in the uniserial portion it is termi-
nal. Loeblich and Tappan (1964, p. C241) placed the
agglutinated Spiroplectella Earland, 1934, from the
Recent, Discovery Station 360, Scotia Sea, also in
Ammobaculoides because Earland's genus has the
same morphology as Ammobaculoides and is insolu-
ble in acid. The here-described agglutinated form from
the Baia de Sepetiba shows the Ammobaculoides mor-
phology and its test is insoluble in acid; hence, it is
assigned to Ammobaculoides Plummer.
Ammobaculoides troelseni, n. sp.
P1. 1 , Figs. 5-9; P1. 3, Figs. 1-8
Holotype. The holotype of Ammobaculoides troel-
seni, n. sp. is the individual shown by its side view on
P1. 1 , Fig. 5. It is from sample BS 122, Baia de Se-
petiba, about 50 kmWSW of Rio de J aneiro, Brazil
(see bathymetric map (Fig. 1) and map in Zaninetti
and others, 1977, Fig. 1). The length of the holotype
is 350 pm. The maximum diameter of the planispiral
part is about 130 pm and its axial thickness about
120 pm.
Derivation of name. The trivial name is for Dr. J .
C. Troelsen, Rio de J aneiro, in acknowledgment of his
contributions to the taxonomy and biostratigraphy of
the Foraminiferida.
PLATE 2
Figs. 1-9 are paratypes of Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, n. gen., n. sp.
10. Umbilical side.
x400. 7. Spiral side. 8. Umbilical side.
7, 8
1, 2
3, 4
5, 6, 9, 10
x430. 1. Spiral side. 2. Umbilical side.
x330. 3. Spiral side. 4. Umbilical side.
~ 5 0 0 . 6. Spiral side. 5. Umbilical side. 9. Spiral side. All paratypes from sample BS 112, Baia de Sepetiba.
18
NEW LITUOLACEA FROM BRAZIL
19
BRONNIMANN AND DIAS-BRIT0
Description of the holotype. The holotype consists
of an early planispiral, an intermediate biserial, and a
terminal uniserial stage. The early biumbilicate plani-
spiral stage is strongly compressed axially but remains
peripherally rounded. It is tightly coiled and involute.
The final whorl of the early stage is made up of at least
seven chambers. The exact number of chambers is
difficult to establish because the radial sutures are not
well defined on the coarsely agglutinated surface.
Paratypes such as those illustrated by optical sections
(Pl. 3, Figs. 1-5, 8) show nine to 10 chambers in the
final whorl of the planispiral stage. The following bi-
serial and the terminal uniserial stages consist of
chambers which are rounded in transverse section.
The two pairs of chambers of the biserial stage are
separated by well defined, obliquely running sutures.
The biserial arrangement is drawn out and loose, the
chambers overlapping only a little, so that in side view
a characteristic zigzag outline is produced. The bise-
rial portion seen in edge view shows more or less par-
allel outlines with incisions at the sutures. The uni-
serial stage consists of a single chamber. The thickness
of the test in edge view is about 120 pm in the axis of
the planispiral stage and 100 to 120 pm in the biserial
and uniserial stages. The maximum lengths of the bi-
serial and uniserial chambers are from 60 to 70 pm.
The aperture is a terminal, rounded opening with a
diameter of about 30 pm. There are no lip-like or other
apertural structures.
The coarsely agglutinated wall is imperforate and
only very little organic substance occurs between the
rather large, angular quartz grains. The color of the
test is light grey.
Remarks on the illustrated paratypes. Three
scanned paratypes are shown in apertural side view
(Pl. 1, Figs. 6-9). Their overall morphology is that
described for the holotype. The early enrollment is
planispiral, involute, and biumbilicate. The biserial
stage consists of one or two pairs of chambers and
only one paratype (Pl. 1, Fig. 9) ends with a single
chamber. In other paratypes three pairs of biserial
chambers were observed. The lengths of the biserial
and uniserial stages are variable. The total lengths of
the illustrated paratypes are 380 pm (Fig. 8), 400 pm
(Fig. 7) and 420pm (Fig. 9). The lengths of other unillu-
strated paratypes go up to 520 pm. The apertures are
close to the edge of the septal face in the biserial stage
and terminal in the uniserial stage. The terminal aper-
ture of a paratype is illustrated by PI. 1, Fig. 6. It is a
large, areal opening of roughly triangular outline. Other
paratypes have oval, terminal openings.
The final whorl of the involute planispiral stage (Pl.
1, Fig. 9) exhibits the septa which are all more or less
incurved toward the periphery, strongly agglutinated,
single-layered and imperforate. The tests of the para-
types are insoluble in HCl.
Optical sections in the plane of enrollment of three
paratypes placed in a clearing liquid are illustrated by
P1. 3, Figs. 1, 2, and 4-7, and by camera lucida draw-
ings on P1. 3, Figs. 3 and 8. They show that the ap-
PLATE 3
Figs. 1-8 are paratypes of Ammobaculoides troelseni, n. sp.
1, 2 x380.
4, 5 x270. 9 x500. Same specimen as P1. 2, Fig. 6.
~430. Same specimen as PI. 2, Fig. 2.
All paratypes from sample BS 122. Baia de Sepetiba.
8 x580. Same specimen as Figs. 4, 5.
Figs. 9, 10 are paratypes of Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, n. gen., n. sp.
3
6
7 x270.
x580. Same specimen as Figs. 1, 2.
xS80. Same specimen as Figs. 1, 2.
10
PLATE 4
Figs. 1-8 are of Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, n. gen., n. sp.
1 x480.
2 x420.
3 xsoo. All from sample BS 122, Baia de Sepetiba.
4 x440.
5
6 Holotype, ~ 5 0 0 .
7
8
~1, 150. Detail of specimen in Fig. 4.
~1,350. Detail of specimen in Fig. 1.
~1,350. Detail of specimen in Fig. 3.
20
NEW LITUOLACEA FROM BRAZIL
21
BRONNIMANN AND DIAS-BRIT0
22
NEW LITUOLACEA FROM BRAZIL
ertures of the planispiral and biserial stages are in-
variably in a subperipheric position. In the final
chambers of the biserial stage they tend to become
terminal and only the different lengths of the septal
walls permit the distinction of a septal face and a septal
periphery. The apertures of the early enrollment are
unknown. The optical sections show also that the
coarsely agglutinated septa are single-layered, imper-
forate and contain only small amounts of organic ma-
terial.
Remarks, Ammobaculoides cylindroides (Earland),
1934, the only other Recent species of Ammobacu-
loides described so far, is distinguished from A. troel-
seni, n. sp., by the slender elongate test with a short
biserial and long uniserial stage.
Occurrence. Ammobaculoides troelseni, n. sp., oc-
curs commonly in the relatively cold, marine waters
of the deepest external portion of the Baia de Sepetiba
and in the innermost portion of the Baia de Ilha
Grande. It has also been recorded, although rarely, in
the outermost environmental zone of the mangrove
area of Acupe, State of Bahia, in normal marine water
(see Zaninetti and others, 1979). In the Baia de Se-
petiba, A. troelseni, n. sp., is found associated with
Sepetibaella sepetibaensis, n. sp.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The writers are indebted to the management of Pe-
trobras, Rio de J aneiro, for the permission to publish
the present paper, and to the Fonds National Suisse
for financial support.
REFERENCES
EARLAND, A., 1934, Foraminifera, pt. 111, The Falklands Sector
of the Antarctic (excluding South Georgia): Discovery Reports,
v. 10, 208 p.
LOEBLICH, A. R., J R., and TAPPAN, H., 1964, Sarcodina, chiefly
Thecamoebians and Foraminiferida, in Moore, R. C., ed.,
Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Protista 2, pt. C: Kansas
University Press, 900 p.
ZANINETTI, L., BRONNIMANN, P., BEURLEN, G., and MOURA, J .
A., 1976, La Mangrove de Guaratiba et la Baie de Sepetiba,
Etat de Rio de J aneiro, Bred: Foraminiferes et Bcologie, note
pr6liminaire: Compte Rendu des Seances de la Societe de Phy-
sique et dHistoire Naturelle de Geneve, n. ser., v. 11, pt. 1-
--- , and - , 1977, La Mangrove de Guar-
atiba et la Baie de Sepetiba, Etat de Rio de J aneiro, BrBsil:
Foraminiferes et icologie: Archives des Sciences, Geneve, v.
-- , DIAS-BRITO, D., ARAI, M., CASALETTI, P., KOUT-
SOUKOS, E., and SILVERIA, S., 1979, Distribution tcologique
des Foraminiferes dans la Mangrove dAcupe, Etat de Bahia,
BrBsil: Notes du Laboratoire de Paleontologic de IUniversitC
de Geneve, pt. 4, no. 1, p. 1-17.
Revised Ms accepted March 1981
3, p. 39-44.
30, pt. 2, p. 161-178.
23