Mediterranean Marine Science (Mar 2017)

A striking colony morphotype of Aplidium proliferum (Milne Edwards, 1841) (Ascidiacea: Polyclinidae) from the Strait of Gibraltar.

  • A. RAMOS-ESPLA,
  • O. OCAÑA

DOI
https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.1940
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 1
pp. 156 – 160

Abstract

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An unusual colonial ascidian with 1-2m in length, belonging to the genus Aplidium (Ascidiacea: Polyclinidae), has been sampled from the Strait of Gibraltar (Ras Leona, Morocco). The characteristics of the colony, zooids and larvae point us to A. proliferum. The species seems common in the NE Atlantic from the Shetland Islands to Mediterranean Sea, but it never has observed the size of colonies as found in this area, the Strait is the largest so far reported, which it is probably represents one of the longest ascidian worldwide.

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