Didemnum grande ( Herdman, 1886 )

Kott, Patricia, 2007, New and little-known species of Didemnidae (Ascidiacea, Tunicata) from Australia (part 4), Journal of Natural History 41 (17 - 20), pp. 1163-1211 : 1181

Didemnum grande ( Herdman, 1886)

( Figure 8D )

Leptoclinum grande Herdman 1886, p 291 .

Didemnum grande Kott 2001, p 185 and synonymy; 2005a, p 244 and synonymy.

Distribution

Previously recorded (see Kott 2004b): Western Australia ( Port Hedland , Cockburn Sound ); Queensland ( Hervey Bay , Whitsunday Is , Great Barrier Reef ); Northern Territory ( Darwin ); Western Pacific ( Indonesia, Philippines). New record: Queensland (Great Barrier Reef: 17.935 ° S, 146.785 ° E, 36 m, QM G308867 ) .

Description

A long, narrow strip of an encrusting colony with brown pigment but lacking spicules over the circular common cloacal canals, which have the surface test depressed over them. A pointed projection is on the surface just ventral to each branchial aperture as in D. jedanense , D. stragulum Kott, 2001 , and some colonies of Polysyncraton cuculliferum , but not previously recorded for this species. The sturdy spicules are stellate, to 0.07 mm diameter with 9–11 long, pointed conical rays in optical section.

Remarks

The newly recorded specimen has characteristics in common with Didemnum stragulum , including the surface papillae associated with each branchial aperture. However, its spicules are smaller; those of D. stragulum being up to 0.12 mm diameter.

Figures

Figure 8. Scanning electron micrographs. (A) Didemnum coralliforme (QM G308861); (B) Didemnum crescente (QM G308815); (C) Didemnum fragum (QM G308826); (D) Didemnum grande (QM G308867); (E) Didemnum granulatum (QM G308843); (F) Didemnum jedanense (QM G308846); (G) Didemnum lissoclinum (QM G308814); (H) Didemnum mantile (QM G308887).