Polycarpa tokiokai Monniot & Monniot, 1996

Monniot, Françoise, 2010, Some new data on tropical western Pacific Ascidians, Zootaxa 2561 (1), pp. 1-29 : 23

Polycarpa tokiokai Monniot & Monniot, 1996

( Figure 24 )

Polycarpa tokiokai Monniot F. & Monniot C., 1996:255 Fig. 55, pl. 9G and synonymy; 2001: 355; 2008: 858 Fig.79E.

Material. Coll. Coral Reef research Foundation, Palau, Southwest Isl. , Helen Reef (Hotsarihi), 02°48.88’N – 131°46.75’E, 10m, 22/VIII/2008, 0CDN 9871-O bis ( MNHN S1 POL. B 555 ) .

A single specimen 3cm in length was attached to Polycarpa mytiligera . The thick tunic is brown. The body wall is thin without black pigment cells. Sixteen large oral tentacles alternate with smaller ones. The neural tubercle opens in a S and is located in a deep V of the peripharyngeal band. The 4 branchial folds do not overlap each other. The formula on the right side is: E-5- 12 -5- 15 -5- 15 -4- 17 -DL. It is difficult to exactly determine the fold limits. The stigmata are short without parastigmatic vessels. The long dorsal lamina increases in height towards the oesophagus. The gut occupies the posterior left part of the body with a grooved stomach, the intestine curved in a well marked secondary loop and a smooth rimed anus. A large endocarp lies in the primary intestinal loop ( Fig. 24 ). The body wall is devoid of other endocarps. Numerous polycarps ( Fig. 24 ) are grouped in irregular bunches protruding into the peribranchial cavity; they are located on each side of large dermato-branchial strands. Oval in shape, they are attached to the body wall by the tip opposed to the gonoducts. Each polycarp contains an elongate ovary sided by 2 rows of male follicles. Numerous thin papillae link the cloacal velum.

Polycarpa tokiokai is frequent in the tropical Pacific.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Polycarpa tokiokai: gonad distribution on the body wall. Scale bar= 1cm