Search

Deep-sea benthic communities from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, were sampled in January–April 2005 in an area located between 61°S–70°S and 0°W–49°W. We found a total of eight ascidian species that belong to five different families, of which one corresponded to a new species. These were: Protoholozoa pedunculata Kott, 1969; Corynascidia suhmi Herdman, 1882; Styela andeepensis Maggioni & Tatián sp. nov.; Culeolus suhmi Herman, 1881; Culeolus anonymus Monniot F. & Monniot C., 1976; Culeolus likae Sanamyan K. & Sanamyan N., 2002; Oligotrema lyra (Monniot C. & Monniot F., 1973) and Asajirus indicus (Oka, 1913). We report: the extension of the known distribution ranges of P. pedunculata, Corynascidia suhmi, Culeolus suhmi, C. likae and A. indicus, being the first time they are collected from the Weddell Sea; and the shallowest record of C. likae. Six species were added to the list of ascidians of the Weddell Sea, being all deep-sea representatives. While the total number of ascidian species augmented from 43 to 49, the number of deep-sea representatives increased from 23 to 29. Our findings, thus, reinforce the need of performing more deep-sea prospections in the area.

Detailed discussion of the nomenclatural history of the Pyuridae, Bolteniidae and related families is provided. It is shown that the valid nomen for the family currently known as Pyuridae is Bolteniidae. The generic nomen "Claudenus Kott, 1998" is not available and Claudenus is re-established here as intentionally new nomen (Claudenus Sanamyan & Sanamyan gen. nov.) The generic nomen Cratostigma is not available but no replacement nomen is suggested because we suppose that this genus may be congeneric with Bolteniopsis. The generic nomen Eupera Michaelsen, 1904 is invalid being a junior homonym, but a new replacement nomen is not suggested because it is synonymized here with Culeolus.

A three-week intensive marine biodiversity survey was carried out at a small remote region of the central British Columbia coast at and near the Calvert Island Marine Station (Hakai Institute) July 21–August 11, 2017. The survey included daily sampling by the staff and a number of visiting taxonomists with specialties covering all the major groups of invertebrates. Many marine habitats were sampled: rocky and sand/gravel intertidal and tidepools, eelgrass meadows, shallow and deeper subtidal by snorkel and Scuba, plus artificial surfaces including the sides and bottom of the large floating dock at the Institute and settlement plates set out up to a year previously at various subtidal sites. Many new species were recorded by all the taxonomists. In this very biodiverse remote area 36 ascidian species were identified: 18 Aplousobranchia, 7 Phlebobranchia, and 11 Stolidobranchia, comprising a total of 15 solitary and 21 colonial species including two undescribed colonial species. This represents almost one third of all the known North American species from Alaska to southern California in this limited very remote area. Remarkably, only two are possible non-natives. Diplosoma listerianum (Milne-Edwards, 1841), was collected mostly on natural substrates including deeper areas sampled by Scuba, and one colony occurred on a settlement plate. A few Ciona savignyi Herdman, 1882 were collected, two from natural substrates and four from artificial surfaces. There were no botryllids, Styela clava Herdman, 1881, Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002, or Molgula manhattensis (De Kay, 1843), though these are all common and sometimes very abundant non-natives in other parts of BC and along much of the U.S. west coast. Most of the species encountered are known in northern California, Washington, and southern BC, but only a small number are represented among the few known Alaska species.

Recent efforts have been taken to survey and describe the ascidian fauna of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Panama; however, the genus Pyura still remains poorly known. Sampling events have been occurring since 2003. In this research, we describe two new species from the Atlantic coast of Panama: P. longispina sp. nov., P. lopezlegentilae sp. nov., and two new species from the Pacific Coast of Panama: P. carmanae sp. nov. and P. imesa sp. nov. We also supply a tabular key for all the Pyura species found in Panama.

The paper describes Culeolus barryi n. sp. (Ascidiacea: Pyuridae), a species photographically documented in situ and collected in the northeast Pacific, off the coast of California (USA). This species of stalked tunicate inhabits deepwater (1200 m) and is characterized by numerous gonads on each side of the body. It is most similar to C. nadejdae from the Sea of Okhotsk and C. sluiteri from Aleutian Islands. A brief overview of all Culeolus species is provided.

Several specimens of Microcosmus anchylodeirus Traustedt, 1883 were successively collected by dives along the shore of southern Corsica. With a corrugated tunic covered with all kinds of epibionts they are difficult to notice on the rocks and are recorded for the first time from Mediterranean Sea. These ascidians correspond well internally and externally to Atlantic specimens from the Caribbean islands and also to those described from Brazil. Pacific specimens identified as Microcosmus multitentaculatus Tokioka, 1953 from Japan and Korea have been examined and are now considered as junior synonyms of Microcosmus anchylodeirus , a species whose origin is not known.

Among the Pyuridae family the genus Herdmania Lahille, 1888 differs from the diagnose of Pyura Molina, 1782 by the presence of needle-shape echinated spicules in all tissues. These striking elements formerly led to identify many specimens collected in tropical or temperate waters as Herdmania momus (Savigny, 1916). Later the genus was split into several species with a special attention to the different structure of the gonoducts. Newly collected specimens and a revision of previously described animals in Polynesia lead to the redescription of Herdmania papietensis Herdman 1882 from Polynesia and to compare it to the other Herdmania species known in the Pacific Ocean.

Between 2003 and 2008 during surveys and collection of ascidians along the Red Sea coast of Israel several specimens of an undescribed species of Boltenia were collected by SCUBA from man-made structures at 1–20 m depth. This is the first species of the genus Boltenia described from the Red Sea. We name the new species Boltenia yossiloya in honor of Professor Yossi Loya, a world renowned researcher of the coral reefs of Eilat.