South Pacific Study Vol. 17, No. 1, 1996

21Pyrgo rasheedi, n. sp. (Foraminifera)

Akio HATTA 1)

Abstract
This paper proposes a new species of benthic Foraminifera, Pyrgo rasheedi HATTA, n. sp. which was found in
mud facies sediments of the Madang lagoon, Papua New Guinea. This new species includes specimens recorded
by RASHEED (1971), HAIG (1988) and LOEBLICH and TAPPAN (1994) as Pyrgo pisum(SCHLUMBERGER).
Key words: Benthic foraminifera, Pyrgo rasheedi, new species, Papua New Guinea

Introduction
A new species of Pyrgo was found during the study of benthic foraminiferal assemblages
at the Madang Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. The intention of this investigation was to makeclear the distribution and depth of foraminiferal assemblages. To make clear the distribution
and depth of Foraminifera it is useful to analyze the paleo-environment using fossil
Foraminifera. Also to clarify the habitat of Foraminifera is helpful to do the environment
education. Text-fig. 1 shows the exact location of the 23 sampling stations. This new species was found in 4 stations. The depth of producing of this new species was about 30 m
and the material which contained the new species was mud sediments. Table 1 shows thesampling stations, location, depth, position, material of the sample, and the producing
stations of this new species. This new species was not found in the shallower and sandy
deposits. The feature of this new species is the tooth in the aperture. The new species has
an aperture with a reindeer horn-shaped tooth at the adult stage.

Description of Pyrgo rasheedi HATTA, n. sp.
Order FORAMINIFERIDA EICHWALD, 1830
Suborder MILIOLINA DELAGE and HEROUARD, 1896
Superfamily MILIOLACEA
EHRENBERG, 1839
Family HAUERINIDAE SCHWAGER, 1876

1) Faculty of Education, Kagoshima University

22South Pacific Study Vol. 17, No. 1, 1996

Genus Pyrgo DEFRANCE, 1824
Pyrgo rasheedi HATTA, n. sp.
(Pl. 1, Figs. 1a -3b)
Pyrgo pisum (SCHLUMBERGER); -RASHEED, 1971, p. 42, pl. 13, fig. 2.; -LOEBLICH and T
APPAN, 1994, pl. 93, figs. 1-14.
Pyrgo sp.; -HAIG, 1988, pl. 4, figs. 5, 6 .

Description: Test ovate in young to spherical in adult specimens, biloculine; peripheryrounded; last chamber envelops half of penultimate chamber; wall calcareous, imperforate,porcelaneous; aperture rounded with a tooth projecting from the apertural face; toothchanges from slightly bifid through hoof-shaped bifid to reindeer horn-shape toward thefull-grown adult stage.
Holotype: pl. 1, fig. 1; Width: 1.3 mm; Length: 1.5 mm
Location of holotype: Holotype was gathered from the lagoon, north of Madang city, Papua

Text-fig.1

Map showing location of sampling stations.
(X mark shows sampling station and the samples of number in circle
include this new species)

Hatta: Pyrgo rasheedi, n. sp.

23Table 1. Producing stations of Pyrgo rasheedi, and Location, Depth, Position andMaterial

New Guinea (Madang 12).
Collection: Holotype is stored at the Department of Science Education, Faculty ofEducation, Kagoshima Unversity.
Occurrence: Sahul Shelf and Timor Sea; off Port Moresby, South of Papua New Guinea;
Madang lagoon, Papua New Guinea.
Remarks: This new species includes some specimens recorded by RASHEED (1971),
HAIG (1988) and LOEBLICH and TAPPAN (1994). At present, reports of this species arelimited to the mud facies of coral reef region of Papua New Guinea, and Sahul Shelf and24

South Pacific Study Vol. 17, No. 1, 1996

Text-fig. 2 Pyrgo pisum of RASHEED, 1971

Text-fig. 3 Biloculina pisum SCHLUMBERGER, 1891 (original figures)(81-83:x40; Fig.31:x50)
Timor Sea.
RASHEED (1971) designated one species from the coral reef region at the south of Papua
New Guinea, as Pyrgo pisum (SCHLUMBERGER) (Text-fig. 2), cited Biloculina bulloides
D’ORBIGNY of MILLETT (1898) as his Pyrgo pisum, that MILLETT’s B. bulloides D’ORBIGNY, was not the B. bulloides D’ORBIGNY (1826). MILLETT (1898) himself showed no figures
but cited the figure of BRADY (1884). Both Biloculina pisum (SCHLUMBERGER) and B.
bulloides D’ORBIGNY differ from the new species in having a simple tooth.
LOEBLICH and TAPPAN (1994) also described this new species from the Sahul Shelf at
the north Australia and the Timor Sea as P. pisum (SCHLUMBERGER). They cited both
Pyrgo pisum of RASHEED (1971) and SCHLUMBERGER (1891). But Biloculina pisum of S
CHLUMBERGER (1891) has a broadly flattened tooth.
Text-fig. 3 demonstrates the holotype and lateral cross section of Biloculina pisum by S
CHLUMBERGER (1891). There is no account of the aperture on his description, but thefigures indicate a distinct flat tooth. The outline of his Biloculina pisum is similar to the newspecies, but the profile of the lateral cross section is more angular and the flat, board like
tooth of B. pisum differs from the complex circle tooth of the new species.
HAIG (1988) described a young specimen from the lagoon near Port Moresby, SouthHatta: Pyrgo rasheedi, n. sp.

2526

South Pacific Study Vol. 17, No. 1, 1996Explanation on Plate 1
Pyrgo rasheedi n. sp.
Fig. 1a-1c: Adult, holotype, 1a-1b x35, 1c x84
Fig. 2a-2c: Young form, 1a-1b x70, 1c x210
Fig. 3a-3b: Juvenile, 3a-3b x70

Hatta: Pyrgo rasheedi, n. sp.

27

Plate 1

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South Pacific Study Vol. 17, No. 1, 1996of Papua New Guinea as Pyrgo sp. He mentioned that Pyrgo sp. is the same as P. pisum ofRASHEED (1971), and that P. pisum of RASHEED (1971) is not Biloculina pisum of S
CHLUMBERGER, (1891)
As mentioned above, Pyrgo pisum (SCHLUMBERGER) of RASHEED (1971) is juniorhomonym and leads to the new name presented in this paper.

Acknowledgements
I express my gratitude to Professor Hirosi UJIIE of the University of the Ryukyus for his
critical reading of the manuscript. I am also indebted to Professor Johann
HOHENEGGER, Institut fur Pala eontologie, Geozentrum Universitat Wien, Oesterreich(Austria) for his help with translation and to Professor Martin GORE of Kagoshima
University for his reading of the first draft.

References
BRADY, H.B. (1884): Report on the Foraminifera dredged by H. M. S. Challenger, duringthe years 1873-1876. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger
during the years 1873-1876, Zoology, V. 9, p. 1-814, pl. 1-115.
HAIG, D.W. (1988): Miliolid Foraminifera from inner neritic sand and mud Facies of thePapuan Lagoon, New Guinea. Jour. Foram. Res., V. 18, no.3, p. 203-236, pl. 1-11.
LOEBLICH, A.R., JR. and H. TAPPAN (1994): Foraminifera of the Sahul Shelf and Timor
Sea. Cushman Found. Foram. Res., Spec. Publ., No. 31, 661 pp.
MILLETT, F. M. (1898): Report on the Recent Foraminifera of the Malay Archipelagocollected by Mr. A. DURRANS, in Reprint from the Journal of the Royal MicroscopicalSociety, (Reprinted by Antiquariaat Junk, 1970, Netherlands), p. 263.D’ORBIGNY, A.
(1826): Tableau methodique de la classe des Cephalopodes. Annales des Sciences
Naturelles, V.7, p. 245-314.
RASHEED, D. A. (1971): Some Foraminifera belonging to Miliolid and Ophthalmidiidae
from the coral sea, South of Papua (New Guinea). Madras Univ. Jour. (1967-68),
Section B, V. 37-38, p. 21-80.
SCHLUMBERGER, C. (1891): Revision des Biloculines des grands fonds. Mem. Soc. Zool.
France, V. 4, p. 542-579, pl. 9-12.
(Accepted July 31 1996)