Polycitor africanus Monniot & Monniot, 1999

Monniot, Françoise, 2012, Some ascidians from the southern coast of Madagascar collected during the “ AtimoVatae ” survey, Zootaxa 3197, pp. 1-42 : 29

Polycitor africanus Monniot & Monniot, 1999

Polycitor africanus Monniot F. & Monniot C., 1997(1999) : 22 fig. 14 pl.34, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa. Monniot & al 2001: 31, South Africa.

Stations. TA 23 (MNHN A3 POL.A 41). TA 25 (MNHN A3 POL.A 40). TA 54 (MNHN A3 POL.A 39).

The colonies in large round masses are anchored by a narrow base; their size reaches 16cm in width. The surface is naked, smooth and the zooid apertures appear in small hollows. There are no systems the consistency is soft. The colonies st. 23 and 25 are whitish, both colonies of st. 54 are pink-purple. The zooids cannot be seen from the surface. The zooids are strongly withdrawn into the tunic. In spite of their strong contraction they can reach 3cm in length. They are colourless. The siphons have 6 petal-like lobes. The thoracic musculature is mostly longitudinal, dense, the fibres gathered in large ribbons running along the abdomen. The number of stigmata rows is greater in the largest colonies from 20 to 24. The transverse vessels are high blades. The abdomen is particularly long. The stomach in posterior position has a smooth wall. The gonads are poorly developed inside the gut loop behind the stomach. The heart is terminal. Vascular processes prolong the abdomen. No larvae are present. The zooids have abundant reserve cells.

This spectacular large species is distributed in the Indian Ocean from the Mozambique Channel to South Africa.