Genus: Diplosoma
Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa
(animals) >
Bilateria > Deuterostomia >
Chordata > Tunicata >
Ascidiacea (sea squirts) > Aplousobranchia > Family:
Didemnidae
A total of 41 known species worldwide, with two of them native to southern
African seas, and another naturalised in the region.
Species native to southern Africa
Information from Monniot et al. (2001),
unless otherwise indicated. Global figures are from World
Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
|
Diplosoma modestum Recorded from
Mozambique. |
|
|
Diplosoma virens Widely distributed in
the shallow, tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Within South
Africa, it has been recorded from Rocky Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, at a depth of 2
m. |
|
Species naturalised in southern Africa
|
Diplosoma listerianum (Jelly crust tunicate)
Native to Europe but has been spread worldwide on the
hulls of ships. In South Africa it has been recorded from all harbours from
Alexander Bay (Northern Cape) to Durban (KwaZulu-Natal) (Picker & Griffiths
2011). The first record of this species in southern Africa was in 1949.
Grows in thin soft sheets or thicker pads on ship hulls. |
 |
Publications
- Monniot C, Monniot F and Griffiths CL. 2001. South African
ascidians. Annals of the South African Museum 108(1): 1-141.
- Picker M and Griffiths C. 2011. Alien and Invasive Animals -
A South African Perspective. Struik Nature, Cape Town.
Text by Hamish Robertson |
