Polycarpa viridis Herdman, 1880

Kott, Patricia, 2006, Observations on non-didemnid ascidians from Australian waters (1), Journal of Natural History 40 (3 - 4), pp. 169-234 : 219-220

Polycarpa viridis Herdman, 1880

Polycarpa viridis Herdman 1880, p 74 ; Kott 1985, p 208 and synonymy.

Distribution

Previously recorded (see Kott 1985): Western Australia (Cockburn Sound); South Australia (Great Australian Bight, Spencer and St Vincent Gulfs); Victoria (Bass Strait); New South Wales (Cape Jervis, Port Jackson). New records: Tasmanian Canyons ( Pieman Canyon , 168 m, 174 m) .

Description

The newly recorded specimens are of the usual conservative form for this species, with an atrial aperture about one-third of the body length distant from the terminal branchial aperture. Both apertures are on small conical protrusions and props or hair-like roots are on the postero-ventral part of the body. The gonads are embedded in the body wall amongst large spherical blister-like vesicles and a large fleshy endocarp is in the rather short postpyloric part of the gut loop and there is the usual long rectum. The preservative of one of the specimens is orange-red and the specimen itself is a maroon colour, although this may have been affected by other specimens preserved with it.

Remarks

There is no trace of the green colour said to characterise this species and its distinction from P. flava depends greatly on its rather thin test without sand while the latter species has a thicker, tougher test, black in preservative.