Diplosoma velatum Kott, 2001

Kott, Patricia, 2005, New and little-known species of Didemnidae (Ascidiacea, Tunicata) from Australia (Part 3), Journal of Natural History 39 (26), pp. 2409-2479 : 2468

Diplosoma velatum Kott, 2001

Diplosoma velatum Kott 2001, p 345 ; 2004a, p 772.

Distribution

Previously recorded (see Kott 2001, 2004a): southern Australia from Western Australia (Albany) to Victoria (Western Port). New record: Tasmania (Port Davey, SAM E3241).

Description

The species is the usual soft, encrusting sheet with the separate zooids held in groups at the surface by systems of branching test connectives that suspend them in the extensive common cloacal cavity between the thin surface and basal layers of test. The test contains granular bodies that make it cloudy. The whitish coloured (without black squamous epithelium), small zooids, with two testis follicles, have conspicuous oval terminal ampullae on the vascular stolons that extend out into the test from the ventral (concave) side of the gut loop.

Remarks

The species appears to be an indigenous one with a temperate geographic range across the southern coast of the continent. The species has been confused with the tropical D. translucidum (Hartmeyer, 1909) . However, in addition to the distinguishing characters documented by Kott (2001), shallow longitudinal grooves have been found in the internal wall of the large stomach of D. translucidum .