Polycarpa chinensis ( Tokioka, 1967 )

Kott, Patricia, 2006, Observations on non-didemnid ascidians from Australian waters (1), Journal of Natural History 40 (3 - 4), pp. 169-234 : 216

Polycarpa chinensis ( Tokioka, 1967)

Cnemidocarpa chinensis Tokioka 1967, p 188 .

Polycarpa chinensis: Kott 1985, p 157 and synonymy.

Distribution

Previously recorded (see Kott 1985): Western Australia (Dampier Archipelago to Cockburn Sound); Victoria (Bass Strait); Queensland (Moreton Bay to Murray I.), China (Tsia-men), Vietnam. New records: Queensland (16.235–18.815 ° S, 145.955– 146.955 ° E, 12–60 m) .

Remarks

The external appearance of smaller specimens of this species often closely resembles Polycarpa procera (see below) although the long, curved larger specimens with apertures produced on short siphons can be confidently assigned to the present species. These two species are often sympatric and both are found over a great tropical-temperate range— P. chinensis from the South China Sea to Cockburn Sound and Bass Strait, and P. procera with an even wider north–south range from Japan to South Australia.

The present species is also one of the most frequently encountered species in the benthic fauna of the sea floor of north-eastern Queensland, occurring in about one-third of the stations at which ascidians were taken, only Polycarpa decipiens and Herdmania grandis being recorded more often. Polycarpa papillata is also recorded at about one-third of the stations, but in much smaller numbers than the present species.