Eudistoma hepaticum (Van Name, 1921)

A. Palomino-Alvarez, Lilian, Moreira Rocha, Rosana & Simoes, Nuno, 2019, Checklist of ascidians (Chordata, Tunicata) from the southern Gulf of Mexico, ZooKeys 832, pp. 1-33 : 1

Eudistoma hepaticum (Van Name, 1921) Fig. 3G

Material examined.

CAGoM-0052, Pro 1, 6 m, 26-05-2015, leg. L. Palomino-Alvarez; CAGoM-0068, Chp1, 26-05-2015, 2 m, leg. L. Palomino-Alvarez; CAGoM-0091, Sey 2, 12-06-2015, 11 m, leg. Palomino-Palomino Alvarez; CAGoM-0088, Sey 1, 12-06-2015, 11 m, leg. Palomino-Palomino Alvarez; CAGoM-0107, Mad 4, 17-06-2015, 9 m, leg. L. Palomino-Alvarez; CAGoM-0072, Mad 2, 13 m, 27-05-2015, leg. L. Palomino-Alvarez; CAGoM-0039, Cel 1, 11-05-2015, 1 m, leg. L. Palomino-Alvarez, CAGoM-0116, B10, 9 m, 17-06-2015, leg. L. Palomino-Alvarez; CAGoM-0087, Sey 2, 11 m, 12-06-2015, leg. L. Palomino-Alvarez.

Remarks.

We found large (about 20 cm in diameter) purple or blue colonies on cement columns in Progreso Harbor and smaller colonies were found on coral reefs. This is the most common species of Eudistoma in the region.

Global distribution.

United States ( Van Name 1945; Plough 1978), Bermudas ( Van Name 1902), Jamaica ( Goodbody 2003, Van Name 1921), St. Thomas ( Van Name 1921), Mexico ( Van Name 1945), Curaçao ( Goodbody 1984b), Venezuela ( Goodbody 1984a), and Guadeloupe ( Monniot 1983c).