Synoicum stewartense

Synoicum stewartense (Michaelsen, 1924) (Figure 6c) Macroclinum stewartense Michaelsen, 1924: 413–421, figs 26, 27, 28. Synoicum stewartense: Millar, 1982: 15, fig. 3. Material examined New records. NEW ZEALAND, Stewart Island, Bob’ s Point (41° 51.25 ʹ S, 168° 07.57 ʹ E, 15 m, 31 August 2007, NIWA68089). Previously recorded. Stewart Island, 35 fathoms Michaelsen 1924); in dredged material off Stewart Island (Brewin 1958a); Chatham Rise (Millar 1982); Fiordland (Page et al. 2014). Description Closely spaced, flat-topped, sand-encrusted heads 10–15 mm in diameter, each with 15–18 zooids arranged in a circle around a central, raised common cloacal aperture (Figure 6c). Zooids are large and pigmented red, with internal structures as described in Page et al. (2014). Remarks The central, raised common cloacal aperture, depressed branchial apertures of zooids in a circular system and a low raised rim around the anterior of each colony lobe are consistent with characters for this species described by Michaelsen (1924) and Millar (1982). Adherent sand covers the purple zooids.
Published as part of Page, M. J., 2018, Colonial ascidians from the Foveaux Strait region of New Zealand, pp. 1157-1180 in Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) (J. Nat. Hist.) 52 (17 - 20) on page 1171, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1450903, http://zenodo.org/record/5174607
{"references":["Michaelsen W. 1924. Ascidiae Krikobranchiae von Nueseeland den Chatham- und den Auckland- Inseln. Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra Dansk naturhistorisk Forening i KObenhavn. 77: 263 - 434.","Millar RH. 1982. The marine fauna of New Zealand: Ascidiacea. New Zealand Oceanographic Memoir. 85: 114.","Brewin BI. 1958 a. Ascidians of New Zealand. Part XI. Ascidians of the Stewart Island region. Trans Roy Soc N Z. 85: 439 - 453.","Page M, Willis T, Handley S. 2014. The colonial ascidian fauna of Fiordland, New Zealand with a description of two new species. J Nat Hist. 48: 1653 - 1688."]}