Ascidians collected during the Madibenthos expedition in Martinique: 2. Stolidobranchia, Styelidae Author Monniot, Françoise text Zootaxa 2018 2018-04-17 4410 2 291 318 journal article 30246 10.11646/zootaxa.4410.2.3 c099b7cc-9634-4455-b59e-d5a597998ee7 1175-5326 1221580 7A46BD51-20A9-4FDA-81FB-D771BA9011FC Symplegma brakenhielmi ( Michaelsen, 1904 ) Fig. 10A Diandrocarpa brakenhielmi Michaelsen, 1904 Symplema viride : Van Name 1945 Symplegma brakenhielmi : Monniot C. 1983 and synonymy; Monniot C. & F. 1997; Monniot F. 2016b ; Rocha & Costa 2005. Stations: AM 34; AR 136 (MNHN S1 SYM 92) The thin encrusting colonies are grey with a transparent tunic. The anatomy is that described by Van Name (1945), Monniot C. (1983) , Monniot C. & F. (1997). The branchial structure is characteristic; there are 4 longitudinal vessels on each side but 2 vessels on the left side do not reach the base of the branchial sac but join the dorsal lamina ( Fig. 10A ). There are usually 9–11 rows of stigmata, sometimes 9 as in Fig. 10A . The testis vesicles are lobed and this peculiarity represents the main difference with S. viride living the same habitat. The distinction between both species is not clear in the literature. A discussion concerning the Caribbean Symplegma species was given by Monniot C. (1983) and also by Monniot C. & F. (1997) with a new record of S. brakenhielmi from the Arabian Gulf. The general geographic distribution according to several authors’ citations cannot be ascertained.