Deep-water ascidians (Tunicata: Ascidiacea) from the northern and western Pacific
Author
Sanamyan, K. E.
Author
Sanamyan, N. P.
text
Journal of Natural History
2006
2006-05-31
40
5 - 6
307
344
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930600628416
journal article
10.1080/00222930600628416
1464-5262
4669378
Chelyosoma columbianum
Huntsman, 1912
Chelyosoma columbianum
Huntsman 1912
, p 124
;
Ritter 1913
, p 486;
Van Name 1945
, p 208;
Sanamyan 1998
, p 110.
Material examined
St.
6089, 170 m
,
25 specimens
.
Remarks
All newly recorded specimens are identical to the one from the Commander Islands (
Sanamyan 1998
). They all have two central plates connected by short muscles, and 8–11 marginal plates. None of the 25 examined specimens had intermediate plates that
Huntsman (1912)
recorded for this species.
Huntsman (1912)
stated that
C. columbianum
may be readily distinguished from
C. productum
Stimpson, 1864
by the presence of short muscles connecting the two central plates.
Ritter (1913)
based his assignation of specimens from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to
C. columbianum
solely on this feature. However, it is possible that the muscles between the central plates have been overlooked in those specimens assigned to
C. productum
and it may not differ from
C. columbianum
. Unfortunately no specimens clearly referable to
C. productum
(with elongated body and more numerous marginal plates) were available to confirm this view. The present species cannot be confused with the other north Pacific species of
Chelyosoma
, which either have a single central plate (
C. macleayanum
Broderip and Sowerby, 1830
and
C. orientale
Redikorzev, 1911
), or lack the plates on the disk (
C. inaequale
Redikorzev, 1913
).