Some new data on tropical western Pacific Ascidians
Author
Monniot, Françoise
text
Zootaxa
2010
2010-08-09
2561
1
1
29
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2561.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.2561.1.1
1175-5326
5304193
Phallusia arabica
Savigny, 1816
(
Figure 19
)
Phallusia arabica
Savigny, 1816: 164
.
Kott 1985: 61
Fig. 24a–d
, pl. 1e, without synonymy. Monniot C. 1997: 570
Fig. 4C–E
. Monniot F. & Monniot C. 1996: 233 Fig. 46, pl. 8A.
Material.
Coll. N.J. Pilcher
et al.,
Viet Nam
,
Con Dao Isl.
,
Con Son Isl.
, Tau Be,
08°41.69’N
–
106°39.62’E
,
18m
, 0PHG 1688-S (
MNHN
P5
PHA 122
)
.
FIGURE 18.
Ascidia archaia
: A: brancial sac, B: body.
FIGURE 19.
Phallusia Arabica
: internal side of the neural area.
The body is white with a cartilaginous smooth tunic. Numerous oral tentacles in 4 orders of size are inserted on a low crest. The peritubercular area is spotted with small papillae. The dorsal lamina is doubled along 1/3 of its total length and more posteriorly its rim is toothed. The branchial papillae are long, there are no intermediate papillae and no parastigmatic vessels. Many openings of the neural gland can be found on the dorsal line between the siphons (
Fig. 19
).
The gut of
one specimen
was filled with a large amount of small bivalves, all of the same size.
Phallusia Arabica
always lives deeply sunk into the substrate. It is widely distributed in the Pacific and Indian oceans.