Perophora multiclathrata ( Sluiter, 1904 )

Monniot, Françoise, 2009, Some ascidians from Indonesian marine lakes (Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua), Zootaxa 2106, pp. 13-40 : 31

Perophora multiclathrata ( Sluiter, 1904)

( Figure 13)

Ecteinascidia multiclathrata Sluiter, 1904: 12

Perophora multiclathrata: Kott, 1985: 106 fig. 4 and synonymy; Nishikawa, 1986: 31 fig. 1; Nishikawa 1991: 38; Monniot C. 1987: 24; Monniot C. 1997: 562; Kott 1992: 634; Kott 2003: 1635 . Perophora formosana ( Oka: 1931: 173): Monniot C. 1983:57; Goodbody, 1994: 181 fig. 4 pl. 1.

Material. Indonesia. West Papua, Gam Island, Danau Hidden Gam marine lake, 00°26.959’S – 130°30.071’E, 0.5m, 09/XII/2007, coll. L.J. Bell and L.E. Martin, DHG 0 18 ( MNHN P2 PER 89); West Papua, Gam Island, Danau Nine Gam marine lake, 00°26.170’S – 130°29.149’E, 0–2m, 02/XII/2007, coll. L.J. Bell and L.E. Martin, DNG 004-2 ( MNHN P2 PER 90)

Well spaced tiny zooids arise from long thin stolons ( Fig. 13). The pale translucent yellow body is no more than 3mm in length. The oral aperture is terminal, the atrial siphon antero-dorsal, both sessile with 8 lobes. An unperforated area lies in front of the 5 stigmatal rows. The stomach is particularly long. This small species is characterised by a single horizontal muscle bundle crossing each side in its middle and dividing into two parts to enclose the atrial siphon ( Monniot C. 1997 fig. 2B). This muscular pattern distinguishes P. multiclathrata from P.longigaster Monniot & Monniot, 2008 which has also a long stomach but longitudinal muscles.

P. multiclathrata is widely distributed in warm shallow waters of all oceans.