Leptoclinides dubius ( Sluiter, 1909 )

Kott, Patricia, 2007, New and little-known species of Didemnidae (Ascidiacea, Tunicata) from Australia (part 4), Journal of Natural History 41 (17 - 20), pp. 1163-1211 : 1168

Leptoclinides dubius ( Sluiter, 1909)

( Figure 6C )

Polysyncraton dubium Sluiter 1909, p 69 .

Leptoclinides dubius: Kott 2001, p 54 and synonymy; 2005a, p 2418 and synonymy.

Distribution

Previously recorded (see Kott 2001, 2005a): Western Australia (Port Hedland, Shark Bay, Houtman’s Abrolhos, Cockburn Sound); Queensland (Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Is, Bowen, Lizard I.); Northern Territory (Darwin); Western Pacific ( Indonesia, Philippines, New Caledonia). New records: Queensland (Great Barrier Reef: 17.465 ° S, 146.375 ° E, 27 m, QM G308892; 18.945 ° S, 146.365 ° E, 7.5 m, QM G308852).

Description

Spicules are crowded in the surface layer of the colony and are in a thick layer on the base, while the remainder of the test, especially the lower half (excluding the thick layer of spicules on the base) is translucent. Large posterior abdominal common cloacal cavities are in the base of the colony. Zooids are large, with a posteriorly orientated atrial siphon and a large branchial siphon about half the length of the thorax with a false siphon in its base. About 12 stigmata per row are in the branchial sac.

Remarks

The spicules and their distribution and the large robust zooids with a velum in the base of the branchial siphon readily identify this commonly encountered species.

Figures

Figure 6. Scanning electron micrographs. (A) Atriolum irregulare (QM G323245); (B) Leptoclinides albamaculatus (QM G308876); (C) Leptoclinides dubius (QM G308892); (D) Leptoclinides durus (QM G308894); (E) Leptoclinides fluxus (QM G308817); (F) Leptoclinides placidus (QM G308766); (G) Polysyncraton cuculliferum (QM G3088458); (H) Polysyncraton gratum (QM G308891).