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New records of solitary ascidians on artificial structures in Singapore waters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2013

Serina Siew-Chen Lee
Affiliation:
Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 18 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore119227
Serena Lay-Ming Teo*
Affiliation:
Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 18 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore119227
Gretchen Lambert
Affiliation:
University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories, Seattle, WA 98177
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: S. Teo, Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 18 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore119227 email: tmsteolm@nus.edu.sg
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Abstract

Sixteen species of solitary ascidians were identified from subtidal marine fouling communities present on navigational buoys, jetty pilings, floating pontoons and nettings around the coastal waters of Singapore. Of these, twelve are new records: Ascidia gemmata, Phallusia arabica, Phallusia nigra, Rhodosoma turcicum, Rhopalaea crassa, Polycarpa argentata, Polycarpa aurita, Polycarpa captiosa, Polycarpa olitoria?, Styela canopus, Pyura curvigona and Herdmania pallida. The other four species include Ascidia sydneiensis, Phallusia philippinensis, Polycarpa papillata and Microcosmus exasperatus. A detailed morphological comparison of Phallusia nigra and P. philippinensis is included because these two species have been frequently confused, resulting in a significant under-reporting of the latter in the literature.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013 

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References

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