Polycarpa argentata, (SLUITER, 1890)

Monniot, Claude, 2002, Stolidobranch ascidians from the tropical western Indian Ocean, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 135 (1), pp. 65-120 : 79

POLYCARPA ARGENTATA ( SLUITER, 1890) ( Fig. 11 )

Styela argentata Sluiter, 1890: 340 – Indonesia.

Synonymy: see Monniot F. & Monniot C., 1996: 247, fig. 52, pl. 8H – Palau & Papua New Guinea, 2001: 322, fig. 128A – Palau; Philippines.

Material

Mozambique: Ibo Island , 5–20 m, 6 specimens, coll. C. Monniot , 1995.

Distribution

This species, collected several times in the western Pacific Ocean, also occurs on the west coast of Australia ( Kott, 1985). Its presence in Mozambique greatly extends its tropical distribution. The anatomical characters are the same in Mozambique as in the Pacific Ocean ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

Figure 11. Polycarpa argentata: A,B, both sides of a specimen removed from the tunic. C, specimen ventrally opened. D, detail of a polycarp. Scale bars: A,B,C = 1 cm, D = 0.5 mm.