home   about   search

biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Genus: Aplidium

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Tunicata > Ascidiacea (sea squirts) > Aplousobranchia > Family: Polyclinidae

Aplidium sp., Sodwana Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. [photo CL Griffiths ©]

A total of 269 species worldwide, 20 of which are native to southern African seas.

Species native to southern Africa

Information from Monniot et al. (2001) and World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).

Aplidium agulhaense

Recorded from the Agulhas Bank, South Africa, at a depth of 102 m.

 

Aplidium altarium

Central Indo-Pacific, including Mozambique.

 

Aplidium circulatum

Recorded from Miller's Point, False Bay, Cape Peninsula at a depth of 8-12 m. Also from St Francis Bay.

 

Aplidium claviforme

Recorded from Algoa Bay.

 

Aplidium colelloides

Collected off the Cape of Good Hope at a depth of 250 m. Also recorded from Namibia.

 

Aplidium crustatum

Recorded from the Western Cape coastline, from Saldanha Bay and Miller's Point (Cape Peninsula). Occurs to a depth of 2 m and is also found in the intertidal zone.

 

Aplidium erythraeum

Recorded from South Africa.

 

Aplidium exiguum

Collected off the Cape of Good Hope at depths of 170 m and 318 m.

 

Aplidium flavolineatum

Occurs from Saldanha Bay (Western Cape) to Sodwana Bay (KwaZulu-Natal) where it is found in rockpools and down to a depth of 9 m.

 

Aplidium galeritum

Recorded from St Francis Bay (Eastern Cape) and False Bay (Western Cape).

 

Aplidium haesitans

Recorded only from Isipingo in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in rockpools.

 

Aplidium lobatum

Semi-cosmopolitan, including South Africa.

 

Aplidium lubricum

Recorded from Durban (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa), Mozambique and Madagascar.

 

Aplidium mernooensis

Recorded from Sodwana Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where it was found at 14-18 m depth. Also recorded from New Zealand, New Caledonia and Australia.

 

Aplidium monile (Cushion ascidian)

Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in the intertidal zone.

 

Aplidium pantherinum

Recorded from KwaZulu-Natal and from the Cape.

 

Aplidium petrense

Recorded from Mozambique.

 

Aplidium retiforme

Recorded from Kerguelen Island and from False Bay (Western Cape, South Africa).

 

Aplidium sarasinorum

Recorded from Sri Lanka, Mozambique and South Africa (False Bay, Western Cape).

 

Aplidium schultzei

Recorded from False Bay (Western Cape, South Africa). The original description of the species is inadequate in helping to identify new collections of this species.

 

Publications

  • Monniot C, Monniot F and Griffiths CL. 2001. South African ascidians. Annals of the South African Museum 108(1): 1-141.

Text by Hamish Robertson