Colony encrusting, multiserial, unilamellar or multilamellar as the result of frontal budding, sometimes tubular (“hemescharan”) growing around arborescent epibiota such as hydroids. Colour varying from white (at growth tips) to red and purple/ brown in the older, multilamellar regions.
Basal autozooids longer than wide, 0.381–0.558 mm (mean 0.494 mm, SD 0.043 mm, n = 31) long by 0.263–0.508 mm (mean 0.371 mm, SD 0.071 mm, n = 31) wide, almost as wide as long at row bifurcations, surrounded by a distinct suture line; areolar pores deep. Frontally budded autozooids less consistent in shape, often more rounded. Frontal shield in basal zooids slightly convex, more so in frontally budded zooids. Pseudopores present everywhere apart from area distal of primary orifice, polygonal in early ontogeny, later reduced by secondary calcification, becoming occluded before frontal budding. Primary orifice broad, 0.125–0.172 mm (mean 0.147 mm, SD 0.011 mm; n = 25) long by 0.125–0.181mm (mean 0.154 mm, SD 0.015 mm; n = 26,) wide. Anter broad, D-shaped, sinus (poster) U-shaped, broader than deep. When the operculum is removed, the edge of primary orifice adjacent to the condyles runs slightly distally from sinus to proximolateral corners (i.e. slopes upwards). Condyles small with acute tips.
Adventitious avicularia generally single, developing proximolaterally to the primary orifice and orientated distolaterally from midline, small (mean 0.137 mm, SD 0.019 mm, n = 10). Rostrum pointed distally with concave sides and hooked tip. Opesia rounded, deeply D-shaped, no columella. Mandible with curved tip. Avicularia occasionally develop proximal to orifice and occupy a large proportion of frontal shield. Larger than regular adventitious avicularia but with similarly shaped rostrum and opesium. Mandible orientated proximally.
Ovicells not present in type specimen. In topotype material ovicells are globular, rounded, recumbent on the distal zooid, and have surfaces completely covered by
pores but lacking radial ridges.
Tompsett et al 2009
Schizoporella errata forms broad spreading sheets; erect foliaceous branched colonies; or cylindrical colonies, composed of a single or multiple layer of autozooids. Colonies are reddish-brown or violet brown with a lighter growing edge and may exceed 150 mm in diameter. Autozooids are polygonal and extremely variable in both size and shape. Colony morphology may vary depending on the habitat. In high energy environments in the Adriatic, large colonies of S. errata have been recorded with irregular knobby surfaces and cavities which are a centimetre in diameter and a millimetre high. Alternatively, dense colonies with relatively smooth surfaces or erect hollow branches colonies have been recorded from very low kinetic energy conditions.
Schizoporella errata is widely distributed from warm temperate waters to subtropical areas. It is common throughout the Mediterranean.
The species is a prolific fouling organism, able to colonise hard substrates, soft-bodied erect organisms such as hydroids and artificial substrates. It has been recorded from both highly exposed and sheltered low energy conditions, but with varying colony morphology depending on the environment.