Observations on non-didemnid ascidians from Australian waters (1)
Author
Kott, Patricia
text
Journal of Natural History
2006
2006-04-26
40
3 - 4
169
234
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930600621601
journal article
10.1080/00222930600621601
1464-5262
5232431
Pseudodistoma gracile
Kott, 1992a
(
Figure 9A
)
Pseudodistoma gracilum
Kott 1992a
, p 433
and synonymy.
Distribution
Previously
recorded (see
Kott 1992a
):
South Australia
(
Great Australian Bight
,
Investigator Group
,
Kangaroo I.
);
Victoria
(
Beachport
,
Western Port
);
New
South Wales
(
Jervis Bay
,
Port Jackson
);
Queensland
(
Great Barrier Reef
);
New Caledonia
.
New
records:
South Australia
(
Kangaroo Is
,
8–10 m
,
SAM E3270
);
Tasmania
(
Maria Is
;
Port Davey
,
4– 6 m
,
SAM E3269
).
The new records from
Tasmania
are the most southerly locations yet recorded for this species.
Description
The colonies have the robust, contractile zooids of the usual form entangled in the soft, disintegrating mucus-like test as described previously.
Remarks
Although colonies and zooids resemble those of the Japanese
P. fragile
Tokioka, 1958
, the present species broods only a single embryo at a time, while the Japanese species has a long brood pouch with up to five embryos being brooded at a time and a significantly longer larval trunk (see
Kott 1992a
). Like other species in this genus it is more often recorded from temperate locations than from tropical ones.