Recent and fossil species of Characodoma Maplestone, 1900 (Bryozoa) from the Mediterranean with description of two new species

Three species of Characodoma Maplestone, 1990 from the Mediterranean are di scussed here. Two, C. rostratum and C. reclinatum are described as new from Pleistocene bathyal sediments of Southern Italy. The third, C. mamillatum (Seguenza, 1880) was already known from Tertiary-to-Quaternary sediments of Southern Italy. It has been recognized as the senior synonym of C. bifurca tum (Waters, 1918). Stratigraphical, geographical and ecological distributi ons of all the species are discussed. Morphological studies, principally of C. mamillatum, provide useful information about the life habit of these sp ecies.