Advisor: Thomas Schwaha

Master's Defensio

Friday, November 14th, 2025, 10:00 am CET
SR 1.3, UBB
Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna

Abstract

This thesis offers a comprehensive morphological revision of the Ctenostome Bryozoan family Clavoporidae, integrating museum collections from London and Paris as well as newly collected material from the Atlantic, Mediterranean, New Zealand, the broader Pacific and Antarctica. Several new genera and species are described, targeted reassignments for problematic taxa are proposed, and standardized diagnostic features for the capitulum, peduncle (kenozooid architecture), and anchoring methods (rhizoids vs. basal discs) are introduced. A practical identification key, consistent species profiles, and high-quality imagery support reproducible taxonomy and subsequent ecological research. The findings extend distributional and bathymetric ranges, emphasize Zealandia as a diversity hotspot, and propose hypotheses regarding reproduction (brooding or potential capitular fragmentation). Overall, the thesis provides a solid foundation for future studies on Clavoporidae.