Pelagic tunicates in the China Seas
Author
Franco, P.
Author
Dahms, H. - U.
Author
Lo, W. - T.
Author
Hwang, J. - S.
text
Journal of Natural History
2017
2017-03-27
51
15 - 16
917
936
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2017.1293180
journal article
10.1080/00222933.2017.1293180
1464-5262
5180954
Cyclosalpa floridana
Morphology
Solitary zooids measure up to
13 mm
with interrupted body muscles dorsally. MI to
MII
are fused dorsally with the intermediate muscle which joins MI laterally. MI to MV fused ventrally into a single mass. MVI is interrupted but MVII is continuous ventrally. Light organs are weakly developed, more or less continuous, between MI and MVI or
MII
and MVI. Dorsal tubercle is C-shaped. The aggregated zooids measure up to
9.5 mm
in length and they have only three body muscles (probably MI and
MII
are fused). The intermediate muscle joins MI laterally, and MIII and MIV are fused dorsally (authors’ personal observations;
Marine Species Identification Portal 2017
).
Biogeography
The species is found in sub-tropical waters (WoRMS
Editorial Board 2017
).