Photosymbiotic ascidians in Singapore: turbid waters may reduce living space
Author
Su, Shih-Wei
Author
Hirose, Euichi
Author
Chen, Serina Lee Siew
Author
Mok, Michael Hin-Kiu
text
ZooKeys
2013
305
55
65
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.305.4893
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.305.4893
1313-2970-305-55
Diplosoma simile (Sluiter, 1909)
Diplosoma midori
(Tokioka, 1954)
Leptoclinum midori
Tokioka, 1954
Leptoclinum simile
Sluiter, 1909
Specimens examined.
NMNS-7027-001, NMNS-7027-002, ZRC-TUN-0001 and ZRC-TUN-0015 (Pulau Semakau, subtidal at depth 0.5 m), ZRC-TUN-0011 (St.
John's
Island, subtidal at depth 0.5 m), ZRC-TUN-0009 (Sentosa, subtidal at depth 0.5 m)
Colonies are irregularly shaped sheets about 2 mm thick without spicules (Fig. 2D). They are entirely green due to the
Prochloron
cells in the common cloacal cavities. The thorax has four stigmatal rows: there are six stigmata in the first (top), second, and third row and five stigmata in the fourth row (bottom). The retractor muscle emerges from the bottom of the thorax (Fig. 2E). Testis and/or egg are found in some zooids, and vas deferens is uncoiled. Kott (1982) reported this species from Singapore. This is one of the most common species in the didemnid-
Prochloron
obligate symbioses in the tropical Pacific, and it has also been recently found in Caribbean Panama (
Hirose et al. 2012
).