Dear Gibreel,
According to Claude Monniot (ref. below), S. viride has a pear shaped
testicle, while S. rubra has a large branched testicle. There is a more
common species with a similar morphology and apparently a pan-tropical
distribution: S. brakenhielmi.
There is a coleague in our lab finishing a revision of these 3 species, and
I think she will be publishing her findings shortly.
I hope it helps.
Tito
Monniot, C. 1972. Ascidies Stolidobranches des Bermudes. Bulletin du Museum
National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 3e serie, 57, Zoologie 43: 617-643.
Monniot, C. 1983. Ascidies littorales de Guadeloupe. IV. Styelidae. Bulletin
du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 4e serie, 5, section A, no
2: 433-456.
on 13.04.02 15:22, Gibreel Sharaf at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> Dear Ascidian taxonomists
>
> How can I differentiate between Symplegma viride and S.rubra (I mean by the
> zooid anatomy not by color) and is there is any reference that describes the
> different species of Symplegma?
>
> Thank you and my best wishes and greeting to you all.
>
> Gibreel
>
>
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
> <http://g.msn.com/1HM500901/1T> .
--
_______________________________________________
Tito Lotufo
Departamento de Zoologia - IBUSP/Cebimar
Fone/FAX: (0XX85) 261-4721
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Pag. Bras.s/ Ascidias: http://www.ib.usp.br/~tmlotufo
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