Diplosoma listerianum (Jelly crust tunicate) 

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

Diplosoma listerianum (Jelly crust tunicate). In the top photograph two shared exhalent siphons, indicated by arrows, can be seen breaking the upper outline of the colony. The bottom photograph show a close-up of the zooids in their jelly-like matrix. The dark-rimmed inhalent siphons of each individual zooid are clearly visible. [photo CL Griffiths ©]

Distribution and habitat

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.

Importance

Competes for space with other ascidians.

Links

• Gittenberger, A.; Sanamyan, K.; Monniot, C. (2012). Diplosoma listerianum (Milne-Edwards, 1841). In: Noa Shenkar, Arjan Gittenberger, Gretchen Lambert, Marc Rius, Rosana Moreira Da Rocha, Billie J Swalla, Xavier Turon (2012) Ascidiacea World Database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) on 2012-02-12

Publications

• Branch GM, Griffiths CL, Branch ML, Beckley LE. 2017. Two oceans - a guide to the marine life of southern Africa (4th Edition). Penguin Random House South Africa, Cape Town. More details...
• 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