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 |