Aplidium solidum

Aplidium solidum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Tunicata
Class:	Ascidiacea
Order:	Aplousobranchia
Family:	Polyclinidae
Genus:	Aplidium
Species:	A. solidum
Binomial name
	Aplidium solidum; (Ritter & Forsyth, 1917)
Synonyms
	Amaroucium solidum Ritter & Forsyth, 1917; Aplidium arboratum Kott, 1963; Aplidium incrustans (Herdman, 1891); Psammaplidium fragile Herdman, 1891; Psammaplidium incrustans Herdman, 1891; Psammaplidium lobatum Herdman, 1891; Psammaplidium solidum Herdman, 1891; Synoicum investum Kott, 1963;

Aplidium solidum is a species of colonial sea squirts, a tunicate in the family Polyclinidae. It is commonly known as the red ascidian or sea pork.

Description

Aplidium solidum is a compound tunicate forming sheets or slabs up to 20 cm across on rocks and other hard substrates. The tunic is gelatinous but firm in consistency, 2 to 3 cm thick and a red or pink colour. The individual zooids are bright red, 12 mm long and arranged in small systems. There are usually 13 to 15 rows of gill-like perforations in the pharynx of each.^[2]^[3]

Distribution

The type location of Aplidium solidum is Pemba Island, Tanzania and it is also found in Australian waters.^[1] It occurs on the west coast of North America from British Columbia south to California where it is common on rocks, especially among the holdfasts of kelp forests, and pilings.^[2] It occurs in the intertidal zone and at depths down to 40 metres.^[3]

Biology

Aplidium solidum is a filter feeder. Water is sucked into the interior of the organism through an oral aperture and then expelled through a larger one, common to all the zooids in the system. Phytoplankton and other small organisms get trapped in mucus threads secreted by the endostyle.^[3]

This tunicate breeds in the spring and summer and broods its larvae in its atrial cavity.^[3]

The nudibranch, Hermissenda crassicornis, feeds on this tunicate.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Aplidium solidum (Ritter & Forsyth, 1917) World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
^ ^a ^b ^c Aplidium solidum SeaNet. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Aplidium solidum Archived 2012-04-04 at the Wayback Machine WallaWalla. Retrieved 2011-11-21.

[WoRMS-1] Aplidium solidum (Ritter & Forsyth, 1917) World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-11-21.

[Stanford-2] Aplidium solidum SeaNet. Retrieved 2011-11-21.

[WallaWalla-3] Aplidium solidum Archived 2012-04-04 at the Wayback Machine WallaWalla. Retrieved 2011-11-21.

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