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– Species Fact Sheet
Gynandrocarpa placenta
(Michaelsen, W. 1904)
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Ascidiacea
Order
Stolidobranchia
Family
Styelidae
Colonies generally consist of large (10 x10 cm in diameter up to 3-5 cm thick) fleshy disk on a thin short brown wrinkled stalk.
Colonies are cream or pink in colour.
Zooids open separately on the surface of the colony.
The inner test is gelatinous and semi- transparent.
Zooids are robust (5-8 mm) and arranged in outer layer of the test.
Branchial sac has 3 folds on each side, longitudinal vessels form meshes with 2-5 stigmata.
Stomach with 20 longitudinal folds.
On the interior of the body wall are large endocarps.
The gonads are situated on the left side at the bottom of the cloacal cavity, with the ova between two long testis follicles.
References
Millar, R. H. 1962 Further descriptions of South African ascidians56:113-221
Monniot, C.; Monniot, F.; Griffiths, C. and Schleyer, M. 2001 Ascidians of South Africa.108:1-141