Bostricobranchus digonas Abbott (Ascidiacea, Molgulidae) in Paranaquá Bay, Paraná, Brazil: a case of recent invasion?

Bostricobranchus digonas Abbott (Ascidiacea, Molgulidae) in Paranaquá Bay, Paraná, Brazil. A case of recent invasion?¹

Rosana Moreira da Rocha

Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Zoologia, CP 19020, 81531-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, E-mail: [e-mail]

ABSTRACT

Bostricobranchus digonas Abbott, 1951 was discovered by dredging near Cotinga Island, Paranaguá Bay, Paraná (25º31'511"S, 48º28'714"W). Concentrated in a small area 1.5 m deep, the animals were collected by a Van Veen device. All sizes from 3 mm up to 2 cm in body diameter were recovered. This is the first report of a species of this genus in the South Atlantic and its oeeurrenee is diseussed.

Key Words: Ascidiacea, Molgulidae, Bostricobranchus, nonindigenous fauna

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I thank the undergraduate students of the Marine Biology Course, which found the specimens in a field trip, and the Setor de Ciências Biológicas from Universidade Federal do Paraná who financed this trip. I also thank Dr. Henry L. Spach, Dr. Pedro Martinez Arbizu, Biol. Paulo Corgosinho and Biol. Rafael Metri, which helped looking for other populations of

Bostricobranchus digonas.

Dr. B. Swalla helped me to understand the star shaped embryos; Dr. P. Kott gently sent me a copy of Dr. Abbott's paper; Dr. J. Roper reviewed the English text, to all of them I am indebted.

Received in 21.IX.2001; accepted in 16.VI.2002.

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• SWALLA, B.J. & W.R. JEFFERY. 1992. Vestigial brain melanocyte development during embryogenesis of a viviparous anural ascidian. Dev. Growth Differ. 34: 17-25.
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) Contribution number 1277 Irom the Zoology Department, Universidade Federal do Paraná.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  03 June 2009
• Date of issue
  July 2002

History

• Received
  21 Sept 2001
• Accepted
  16 June 2002