Eudistoma pyriforme (Herdman, 1886)

Kott, Patricia, 2009, Taxonomic revision of Ascidiacea (Tunicata) from the upper continental slope off north-western Australia, Journal of Natural History 43 (31 - 32), pp. 1947-1986 : 1959-1960

Eudistoma pyriforme (Herdman, 1886)

Psammaplidium pyriforme Herdman, 1886, p. 419 .

Eudistoma pyriforme: Kott 1990, p. 226 and synonymy.

Distribution

Previously recorded (see Kott 1990): Queensland (Bundaberg); Torres Strait. New record: CSIRO 05 / 07 western Australia (Station 015-017, Onslow, 20.13 S 115.00 E, 400 m, Beam trawl, 11.6.07, QM G328508 ) .

The new record is from very much deeper water than previously known for this species, which is in a genus not previously recorded from depths off the continental shelf.

Description

The colony is an inverted cone, about 2 cm diameter across the flattened upper surface and about 1.5 cm high, coming to a point at the base. Fine sand is on the upper surface, interrupted where the zooids open to the exterior, Sand also is present throughout the colony. Some excrescences or root-like projections are around the sides of the colony enmeshed with sand and other particles.

Zooids are contracted and the abdomen is contracted to about the same length as the thorax. Three rows of stigmata were detected in the branchial sac, but other details of the zooids were not determined.

Remarks

The present colony is only a single lobe rather than having multiple lobes attached to a common base. Also, it differs from many previously recorded specimens in that the naked areas around each zooid opening and the circular arrangement of the zooids were not detected. Nevertheless, the present specimen falls within the range previously reported for this species.

? Eudistoma sp. Record

CSIRO 05 / 07 western Australia: (Station 029-051, Dampier, 19.79 S 115.47 E, 108 m, Beam trawl, 12.6.07, QM G328557 )

Description

The specimen is a thin membrane enclosing sand mixed with some zooids that may be from a Eudistoma sp. Identification is not possible