Polycarpa camptos, Monniot & Monniot, 2001

Monniot, Françoise & Monniot, Claude, 2001, Ascidians from the tropical western Pacific, Zoosystema 23 (2), pp. 201-383 : 323-327

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5391440
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F57D87A3-FFA5-3145-EA5B-FA96FE8A17E0
treatment provided by	Marcus
scientific name	Polycarpa camptos
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Polycarpa camptos View in CoL n. sp.

( Figs 91 View FIG ; 128B View FIG )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Papua New Guinea. Louisiade Archipelago, Deboyne Lagoon, Nivani Island, 10°47.46’S, 152°23.08’E, 12 m, 30. V.1998 ( MNHN S1 POL.B 422).

ETYMOLOGY. — From the Greek camptos : flexible.

DESCRIPTION

The specimen is 8 × 4 cm, erect, with a creamcoloured, wrinkled tunic ( Fig. 128B View FIG covered by a black didemnid). In formalin the tunic turns light brown and the siphons a darker brown. The tunic is soft and flexible (hence the species name) and generally without epibionts. The siphons are close together.

The body wall is brown and thin. There are no vesicles in the thickness of the body wall. There are a dozen oral tentacles of irregular length. The prepharyngeal band is deeply indented dorsally, but not prolonged in a groove ( Fig. 91A View FIG ). The dorsal tubercle is small with a S-shaped aperture. The dorsal lamina begins at the point of the dorsal V, and its height increases gradually down to the oesophagus. At this level it is abruptly cut. The first branchial fold on the right side is doubled. The formula on the right side is:

R.E.? 8 5 10 7 13 8 17 1 + 4 D.L.

In the space between the first fold and the dorsal lamina, four longitudinal vessels are grouped in a pseudo-fold. The folds are high but do not overlap each other. On the right side we count- ed about 30 stigmata between the dorsal lamina and the first vessel, but only 15 on the left side.

The digestive tract forms an open loop ( Fig. 91A View FIG ). The oesophagus is short and narrow. The stomach is spherical with numerous thin folds. There is no caecum. The rectum is attached to the body wall only along the dorsal lamina. The anus has two dentate lobes.

There is only one large endocarp, located inside the gut loop, which links the intestine to the stomach.

The gonads are very numerous on the both sides of the body ( Fig. 91A View FIG ) with about 130 polycarps on the right side and 74 on the left side. There are no polycarps on the posterior part of the body wall below the stomach and the gut loop. Each polycarp is round ( Fig. 91B View FIG ), not protruding but rather includ- ed in the transparent body wall. The testis lobes are internal to the ovary. The gonoducts are short. We have not seen cloacal tentacles.

REMARKS

This species differs from many Polycarpa in its elongate and erect shape and the very numerous and flat, round polycarps with short ducts, and in consistency of its tunic.

Polycarpa captiosa ( Sluiter, 1885) View in CoL ( Figs 92 View FIG ; 128C View FIG )

Styela captiosa Sluiter, 1885: 202 View in CoL , pl. 9, figs 4-7. Type locality: Indonesia.

Polycarpa captiosa View in CoL – Monniot F. & Monniot C. 1996; 249, fig. 53, pl. 9A, Palau, and synonymy.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Philippines. Mindanao, Davao, N side Talikud Island, Angel Cove, 6°57.59’N, 125°40.76’E, 27.III.1996 ( MNHN S1 POL.B 362). — NE Panay Island, Bayas Island off coast of Estancia town, 11°26.50’N, 123°12.00’E, 28.IV.1995 ( MNHN S1 POL.B 340). — SW Bohol, Planglao Island, 9°32.27’N, 123°43.54’E, 12 m, 21.IV.1997 ( MNHN S1 POL.B 377).

DESCRIPTION

The different specimens are from 8 to 12 cm long. They are erect with the siphons at 45°. The tunic is tough, tuberculated, and covered with varied epibionts. The siphons have a red tint ( Fig. 128C View FIG ). The internal characteristics are the same as described in Monniot F. & Monniot C. (1996). The dorsal tubercle has numerous irregular openings. The polycarps are oval, protruding, and arranged in an irregular line on each side of the body ( Fig. 92 View FIG ). The gut forms a double loop ( Fig. 92 View FIG ), very loosely attached to the body wall when it is not eviscerated.

REMARKS

This species differs from Polycarpa papillata ( Sluiter, 1885) and Polycarpa reviviscens n. sp. in the arrangement of gonads and the multiple openings of the dorsal tubercle.

The distribution covers a large part of the tropical western Pacific Ocean.

Polycarpa cryptocarpa ( Sluiter, 1885) View in CoL ( Figs 93 View FIG ; 128D View FIG )

Styela cryptocarpa Sluiter, 1885: 210 View in CoL . Type locality: Billiton Island. Synonymy: see Monniot C. 1987b: 281, fig. 2. — Monniot F. & Monniot C. 1996: 251, pl. 9C. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Maldives. N Male Atoll, Feydhoo Findhu Island, 4°12.94’N, 73°29.04’E, 2 m, 23.IX.1997 (MNHN S1 POL.B 390). — S Male Atoll, oceanside North reef, 4°07.54’N, 73°30.55’E, 10 m, 24.IX.1997 (MNHN S1 POL.B 389).

Tonga. Vava’u, Hunga Island Lagoon, 18°42.25’S, 174°07.72’W, 2 m, 9.XI.1997 ( MNHN S1 POL.B 388).

DESCRIPTION

The newly collected specimens allow us to complement the description given by Monniot C. (1987b) for New Caledonian specimens. The colour of the tunic in life is rather variable, and the internal side of the siphons is either completely white ( Fig. 128D View FIG ) or spotted with white. The oral tentacles are of two or three orders of size. The dorsal tubercle is protruding, occupying the total space between the dorsal V and the tentacle ring. Its openings are multiple, curved, or merely in a C ( Fig. 93B, D View FIG ).

The gut forms a closed loop ( Fig. 93A, C View FIG ). The secondary curve is always present. The stomach is only slightly enlarged. The anus has a rolled edge with numerous lobes ( Fig. 93A, C View FIG ). There are two or three large endocarps in the intestinal loop ( Fig. 93A, C View FIG ). The polycarps are numerous on each side, covering the whole internal side of the body wall ( Fig. 93A, C View FIG ). They are round, included in the thickness of the body wall and have protruding gonoducts. There are no endocarps between them. There is a ring of small cloacal tentacles.

REMARKS

The distribution of this species is very wide in the whole western Pacific Ocean and the tropical Indian Ocean.