|
|
Family: Ascidiidae
|
Bocas Species Database Habitat: Very common in mangroves and marinas in Bocas del Toro. Distribution: Belize, Cuba, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, Guadaloupe, Curaçao, Colombia, Brazil, Cape Vert, Sierra Leona, South Africa, Mozambique, Singapure, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Tazmania, Philippines, New Caledonia, French Polynesie, Hawaii. Natural History Notes: It is probably an introduced species in Bocas del Toro. Very few exemplars were collected in August 2003, but studies in 2008-2009 reveal it to be very abundant in all mangrove sites visited. Depth: 0.4-1.0 m Characteristics: Individuals are 5.0 cm long and usually present long siphons. Colors vary a lot: white, black, red, wine, yellow, orange. Oral siphon has 7-8 lobes and atrial siphon, 6 lobes. Tunic is translucent with many projections. The musculature forms a border of short and parallel fibers all around the dorsal, ventral and posterior margins of the right side of the body. There is a great dilatation in the intestine seen in the left side of the body. Usually the dorsal tubercule is meandric, but some in individuals it is heart shaped with curved convoluted horns (this is not what is reported in Van Name). |