Quinqueloculina parkeri ( Brady 1881 )

Quinqueloculina parkeri ( Brady 1881) ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 :1–4)

1881 Miliolina parkeri Brady , p. 46.

1884 Miliolina parkeri Brady , pl. 7, fig. 14.

1924 Quinqueloculina parkeri (Brady) ; Cushman, p. 59, pl. 22, fig. 3. 1958 Massilina corrugata Collins , p. 362, pl. 2, figs 11, 12.

1960 Quinqueloculina parkeri (Brady) ; Barker, p. 14, pl. 7, fig. 14. 1968 Quinqueloculina parkeri (Brady) ; Matsunaga, p. 132, pl. 28, fig. 7. 1978 Quinqueloculina parkeri (Brady) ; Cheng & Zheng, p. 176, pl. 5, figs 11–13. 1988 Quinqueloculina corrugata Collins ; Haig, p. 233, pl. 5, figs 15–17. 1988 Quinqueloculina parkeri (Brady) ; Haig, p. 234, pl. 6, figs 32, 33. 1992b Quinqueloculina parkeri (Brady) ; Hatta & Ujiié, p. 68, pl. 8, fig. 4. 1994 Lachlanella parkeri (Brady) ; Loeblich & Tappan, p. 47, pl. 74, figs 1–6. 2002 Lachlanella parkeri (Brady) ; Bicchi et al., p. 279, fig. 4: 9.

2009 Quinqueloculina parkeri (Brady) ; Parker, p. 233, figs 167a–g, 168a–j. 2012 Quinqueloculina parkeri (Brady) ; Debenay, p. 124, pl. 7.

Description. See Brady (1881, p. 46) with Brady (1884, pl. 7, fig. 14), Cushman (1924, p. 59, pl. 22, fig. 3) and Parker (2009, p. 233, figs 167a–g, 168a–j).

Remarks. Specimens assigned to this species have a robust test with quinqueloculine chamber arrangement and roughened wall texture with distinct horizontal ribbing. The Lachlanella - type aperture bears a thin tooth with a thickened tip and is enhanced by a thin lip that is slightly produced ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 :1, 3). This species can be differentiated from other quinqueloculine species by its distinct horizontal ribbing.

Quinqueloculina parkeri ( Brady 1881) most closely resembles Quinqueloculina subparkeri McCulloch 1977 , but has a more elongate test with a slender, arch-shaped aperture and long, thin tooth with a thickened tip. In contrast Q. subparkeri has a somewhat stouter and broader test with a small circular aperture that has a short, thick tooth.

Some specimens of Q. subparkeri from the CG have a rounded, more truncated periphery whereas others have a distinctly acute periphery. This variation was discussed and illustrated by Parker (2009, p. 233, figs 167, 168) who considered this variation in specimens collected from Ningaloo Reef to be intraspecific in nature. In contrast, Collins (1958) and Haig (1988), separated the extreme variants into different species. Collins (1958) erected the new species Massilina corrugata Collins 1958 for his specimens from Low Isles/GBR that had a more truncate, rounded periphery. In contrast, Haig (1988) assigned the more truncate, rounded specimens to Q. parkeri , but referred the more acute tests to Quinqueloculina corrugata ( Collins 1958) . However, these relatively small differences are not considered taxonomically significant and M. corrugata is here considered a junior subjective synonym of Q. parkeri .

Quinqueloculina parkeri is found particularly within shallow depths, channel, mangroves and reef flat sediments ( Cushman 1924; Collins 1958; Haig 1988; Bicchi et al. 2002). The type specimens described by Brady (1884) were collected from a depth of 73 m off the Honolulu reefs and Sandwich Islands and has since been reported globally ( Samoa from 24–46 m off Aua Reef , Tutuila , Tahiti , Seychelles, Java, the Red Sea, Funafuti, Ceylon , Kerimba Archipelago , Malay , Laysan , Gaspar Straits , Guam, Murray Island , West Indes—Cushman 1924; GBR—Collins 1958; northern Japan—Matsunaga 1963; Xisha Islands—Cheng & Zheng 1978; Papuan Lagoon— Haig 1988; Ryukyu Island Arc—Hatta & Ujiié 1992b; Sahul Rise from 31 m—Loeblich & Tappan 1994; Tuamoto Archipelago , French Polynesia with other milioline species favouring shallow peripheral waters of lagoons— Bicchi et al. 2009; Ningaloo Reef—Parker 2009; New Caledonia between 5–25 m—Debenay 2012).

Distribution within study area. Quinqueloculina parkeri is present in all reefs in the CG area except Sykes, but only occurs in low abundance (one to nine specimens per sample). The greatest abundances are found in reef flat samples from Heron Reef, lending some support to the shallow water preference of this species.