Genus: Trididemnum
Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa
(animals) >
Bilateria > Deuterostomia >
Chordata > Tunicata >
Ascidiacea (sea squirts) > Aplousobranchia > Family:
Didemnidae
A total of 69 species worldwide, three of which are native to southern African
seas.
Species native to southern Africa
Information from Monniot et al. (2001),
unless otherwise indicated. Tridemnum natalense has been
excluded from the list because it is inadequately described and
might well be the same species as Tridemnum cerebriforme.
Global figures are from World
Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
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Trididemnum cerebriforme (Brain ascidian)
The distribution of this highly variable species includes South Africa
(where it is very common), the Western Indian Ocean, Australia, the western
tropical Pacific Ocean, and Japan. |
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Trididemnum cyclops (Emerald ascidian)
Distribution covers the Indo-Pacific region. In southern Africa, occurs from
Durban up the KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique coastlines. |
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Trididemnum sansibaricum
Recorded from Mozambique. |
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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 |
