You are here

Molgula pugetiensis is a Pacific tailless ascidian within the Roscovita clade of molgulids.

TitleMolgula pugetiensis is a Pacific tailless ascidian within the Roscovita clade of molgulids.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2010
AuthorsMaliska ME, Swalla BJ
JournalThe Biological bulletin
Volume219
Issue3
Pagination277-82
Date Published2010 Dec
Abstract

<p>The molgulid ascidians are a monophyletic group of tunicates that share specific morphological features, including a heart/kidney complex and hermaphroditic gonads found on both sides of the adult. The larval body plan, however, is quite plastic, with tailless species evolving at least four times independently within the molgulids. The Roscovita clade of molgulid ascidians includes three species that are found sympatrically in Roscoff, France, and includes both tailed and tailless species. Another species in this clade, <em>Molgula pacifica</em>, is a direct developing tailless molgulid ascidian within the Roscovita clade found on the outer coast of Vancouver Island. <em>M. pacifica</em> &quot;larvae&quot; never hatch, and they undergo metamorphosis within the chorion. <em>Molgula pugetiensis</em> is a molgulid ascidian found in the San Juan Islands, but its development has not been reported. Here, we show that this species, belonging to the Roscovita clade, is a tailless ascidian species with &quot;larvae&quot; that hatch from the chorion before metamorphosis, similar to the well-described tailless <em>Molgula occulta</em> from Roscoff, France. Immediately after hatching, the tailless larvae develop ampullae and proceed to metamorphose into juveniles.</p>

URLhttp://www.biolbull.org/cgi/content/full/219/3/277?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Swalla&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT
Alternate JournalBiol. Bull.
Refereed DesignationRefereed