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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Family: Salpidae (salps)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Tunicata > Thaliacea > Salpida

Fourteen genera and 46 species worldwide, with 13 genera and 33 species with broad distributions that include southern African seas. There are no endemic species in the region.

Genera native to southern Africa

Information from World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), Lazarus & Dowler (1979) and other publications listed on the relevant taxon pages.

Brooksia

Two species worldwide, both of which have broad distributions that are likely to include the southern African seas. However, there are no confirmed records from this region.

 

Cyclosalpa

Ten species worldwide, nine of which have wide pelagic distributions that include the southern African seas.

 

Helicosalpa

Three species worldwide. Helicosalpa virgula has a worldwide distribution that includes southern African seas.

 

Ihlea

Three species worldwide, two of which have wide pelagic distributions that include southern African seas.

 

Metcalfina

One species, Metcalfina hexagona, with a circum-(sub)tropical distribution that probably includes southern African seas.

 

Pegea

Three species worldwide, two of which have wide pelagic distributions that include southern African seas.

 

Ritteriella

Three species worldwide, all of which have wide pelagic distributions that include southern African seas.

 

Salpa

Seven species worldwide, four of which have wide pelagic distributions that include southern African seas.

 

Soestia

Two species worldwide, both of which have wide pelagic distributions that include southern African seas.

 

Thalia

Seven species worldwide, four of which have wide pelagic distributions that include southern African seas.

Thetys

One species, Thetys vagina, with a semi-cosmopolitan distribution that includes southern African seas.

 

Traustedtia

One species, Traustedtia multitentaculata, which occurs in the warmer parts of all three oceans, with records from southern African seas.

 

Weelia

One species, Weelia cylindrica, with a broad distribution that includes southern African seas.

 

Publications

  • Bone Q, Carre C, Ryan KP. 2000. The endostyle and the feeding filter in salps (Tunicata). Journal of the Marine Biological Association UK 80: 523-534.
  • Deibel D., and Lowen B. 2011. A review of the life cycles and life-history adaptations of pelagic tunicates to environmental conditions. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsr159.
  • Lazarus, B. I. and D. Dowler. 1979. Pelagic tunicata off the west and south-west coasts of South Africa, 1964-1965. Fish. Bull. S. Afr. 12:93-119.
  • Van Zyl, R. P. 1960. A preliminary study of the salps and doliolids off the west and south coasts of South Africa. Investigational Rept. Div. Fisheries, Union of South Africa. v.40, 31p.

Text by Hamish Robertson