Phallusia arabica Savigny, 1816

Lambert, Gretchen, Lee, Serina Siew-Chen & Teo, Serena Lay-Ming, 2021, Ascidians collected during the 2013 Singapore Strait International Marine Biodiversity Workshop, Zootaxa 4933 (1), pp. 1-38 : 14

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4933.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:56476487-ABC9-4C1C-A73F-D39E55DB9005
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4547902
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BB593765-FFA4-E73C-FF6C-FC4BFC05F97D
treatment provided by	Plazi (2021-02-18 07:13:21, last updated 2024-11-29 10:16:15)
scientific name	Phallusia arabica Savigny, 1816
status

Treatment

Figure 5 View FIGURE 5 E–G

Thick translucent cartilaginous tunic on all specimens, very well supplied with a network of blood vessels. Dorsal lamina double anteriorly, smooth but toothed posteriorly beginning at the top of the gut loop. Accessory openings of neural duct close to and just anterior to and to the right (mostly) of the neural ganglion. Dorsal tubercle in an elongated V, flat but with several openings that are longitudinal slits. Prepharyngeal band not papillated or else very minutely so. Ganglion far from dorsal tubercle, at the base of the atrial siphon. Musculature a very fine network of longitudinal and diagonally horizontal fibers across the entire right side. Stomach horizontal, both ascending and descending limbs of intestine narrow but rectum enlarged before anus. Anus distinctly but irregularly lobed, about 15-20 rather large rounded lobes folded back.

For the non-expert, it may be difficult to distinguish the various species of Phallusia , and many have been misidentified as P. nigra Savigny, 1816 . See Lee et al. (2013) for detailed description and comparison of P. arabica , P. nigra and P. philippinensis Millar, 1975 .

#0176, three individuals; #1221, three specimens 3.3, 4, and 5.5 cm long ( Fig. 5E View FIGURE 5 ).

#4648, juvenile 3.5 cm in length; body removed from tunic 2.9 cm long. Oral siphon with seven lobes, atrial siphon torn at tip. About 58 oral tentacles of various sizes. Smaller oral tentacles colorless, largest ones filled with yellowish corpuscles as described by Kott (1985). Branchial sac with four or five stigmata per mesh but not yet plicated, does not extend posteriorly beyond the stomach. No gonads.

Distribution: Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Madagascar.

Detailed descriptions with illustrations: Kott (1985), Monniot F. & Monniot C. (1996), Monniot C. (1997b), Monniot F. (2010), Lee et al. (2013). Additional reference: Lee et al. (2016).

References

Kott, P. (1985) The Australian Ascidiacea part 1, Phlebobranchia and Stolidobranchia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 23, 1 - 440.

Lee, S. S. - C., Teo, S. L. - M. & Lambert, G. (2013) New records of solitary ascidians on artificial structures in Singapore waters. Marine Biodiversity Records, 6, 1 - 18. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / S 1755267213000638

Lee, S. S. - C., Chan, J. Y-H., Teo, S. L. - M. & Lambert, G. (2016) State of knowledge of ascidian diversity in South China Sea and new records for Singapore. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 34, 718 - 743.

Millar, R. H. (1975) Ascidians from the Indo-West-Pacific region in the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen (Tunicata, Ascidiacea). Steenstrupia, 3, 205 - 336.

Savigny, J. C. (1816) Memoires sur les animaux sans vertebres. Part 2. G. Dufour, Paris, 239 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 125513

Figures

FIGURE 5. A, B: Ascidia sydneiensis about 1.5 cm in length. A: left side in tunic; B: closeup of a few clear tunic tubercles. C, D: Ascidia gemmata 7.9 cm in length in tunic (C) and left side, 7.2 cm long with tunic removed (D); E–G: Phallusia arabica. E: three individuals, largest 5.5 cm in length; F: left side of another individual 2.9 cm in length out of tunic; G: closeup of tunic blood vessels.