Skeleton panda sea squirt: Difference between revisions
Chaotic Enby (talk | contribs) |
Chaotic Enby (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
== Taxonomy == |
== Taxonomy == |
||
[[File:Clavelina ossipandae cladogram.png|thumb|300px|Cladogram showing the recovered position of ''C. ossipandae'' among related species.]] |
[[File:Clavelina ossipandae cladogram.png|thumb|300px|Cladogram showing the recovered position of ''C. ossipandae'' among related species.]] |
||
Several morphological traits were used to identify the skeleton panda sea squirt as a member of genus ''[[Clavelina]]''. Namely, the zooids are free rather than fully embedded, the larvae lack the tubular structures in their adhesive organs characteristic of the related genus ''[[Pycnoclavella]]'',<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rocha |first=Rosana Moreira da |last2=Zanata |first2=Thais Bastos |last3=Moreno |first3=Tatiane Regina |date=March 2012 |title=Keys for the identification of families and genera of Atlantic shallow water ascidians |url=https://www.scielo.br/j/bn/a/xRjYjDMNSgx7GKHXSCMKVzS/ |journal=Biota Neotropica |language=en |volume=12 |pages=269–303 |doi=10.1590/S1676-06032012000100022 |issn=1676-0611}}</ref> and the number of spiracles (10–14) is consistent with the range seen in ''Clavelina'' species (8–20).<ref name=description /> |
|||
| ⚫ | Through sequencing of the [[cytochrome c oxidase subunit I]] gene from the holotype and a paratype, ''Clavelina ossipandae'' was recovered as the sister species of ''[[Clavelina australis|C. australis]]'' inside the genus '' |
||
| ⚫ | Through sequencing of the [[cytochrome c oxidase subunit I]] gene from the holotype and a paratype, ''Clavelina ossipandae'' was more precisely recovered as the sister species of ''[[Clavelina australis|C. australis]]'' inside the genus ''Clavelina'' (found by the authors to be [[Paraphyly|paraphyletic]] to ''[[Nephtheis]]'').<ref name=description /> |
||
== References == |
== References == |
||
Revision as of 03:10, 27 March 2024
| Skeleton panda sea squirt | |
|---|---|
| |
| Colony of C. ossipandae near Kume Island | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Tunicata |
| Class: | Ascidiacea |
| Order: | Aplousobranchia |
| Family: | Clavelinidae |
| Genus: | Clavelina |
| Species: | C. ossipandae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Clavelina ossipandae Hasegawa & Kajihara, 2024
| |
Clavelina ossipandae, the skeleton panda sea squirt[1] (Japanese: ガイコツパンダホヤ, romanized: gaikotsu panda hoya), is a species of colonial ascidian in the family Clavelinidae. Pictures of the tunicate attracted attention on the internet for its skeleton-like appearance prior to its formal taxonomic description in 2024.
History
While lacking a formal description, images of the tunicate taken by divers around Kume Island had circulated on the Internet since 2017, attracting attention for its unusual appearance. Most of the pictures originated from local diver Shunji Terai, whose diving shop drew in tourists interested in seeing the creatures.[2] The tunicate was also featured in television programs, by NHK as well as commercial broadcasters.[3]
The images attracted the attention of Hokkaido University tunicate expert Naohiro Hasegawa, who encountered them in 2018 and recognized the animal as distinct from other ascidian species.[2] In 2024, a team of Japanese researchers led by Hasegawa sampled the tunicate from the rocky outcrop of Tonbara, off Kume Island, formally describing it as the new species Clavelina ossipandae.[4] Four specimens were collected: the holotype and three paratypes, in colonies ranging from one to four individuals. They were later deposited in the Invertebrate Collection of the Hokkaido University Museum in Sapporo.[5]
Etymology
The generic name Clavelina, Latin for "little bottle", refers to the shape of zooids in the genus.[4]
The specific epithet ossipandae is derived from Latin os (bone) and panda. Like the common name, it refers to the white rib-like markings on the sides of the zooid, as well as to the black and white patterns on its front part, resembling the face of the giant panda.[5]
Description
Clavelina ossipandae is a small colonial tunicate, found in colonies of one to four zooids. Unlike in related genera Euclavella and Nephtheis, zooids are free, although extending from a basal mass. Individual zooids range from 7 to 14 millimetres (0.28 to 0.55 in) long.[5]
Specimens bear several white transverse blood vessels along their length, giving the appearance of a series of ribs. A black endostyle is visible below the oral siphon, as well as a mid-dorsal black line below the atrial siphon.[5]
C. ossipandae is also recognizable by the black markings on its white anterior portion (a central dot between the oral and atrial siphons, surrounded by two lateral bands), uniquely distinctive in the genus Clavelina. Two other species in the genus are known to bear similar patterns, although they differ in color, being dark blue on light blue in C. moluccensis and blue on yellow in C. viola.[5] The role of these markings remains unknown.[6]
Distribution
The species is known from waters off the coast of Kume Island, Japan, where both the original reports and the later samples were obtained. Colonies were observed at depths of 10–20 metres (33–66 ft). It is the first species of ascidian known from Kume Island.[5]
Taxonomy
Several morphological traits were used to identify the skeleton panda sea squirt as a member of genus Clavelina. Namely, the zooids are free rather than fully embedded, the larvae lack the tubular structures in their adhesive organs characteristic of the related genus Pycnoclavella,[7] and the number of spiracles (10–14) is consistent with the range seen in Clavelina species (8–20).[5]
Through sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene from the holotype and a paratype, Clavelina ossipandae was more precisely recovered as the sister species of C. australis inside the genus Clavelina (found by the authors to be paraphyletic to Nephtheis).[5]
References
- ^ "Japan's newest species is a tiny, panda-like sea creature". CNN. 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ a b "Divers discover new species nicknamed 'skeleton panda sea squirt'". Local12. 2024-02-17. Archived from the original on 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "ついにガイコツパンダホヤの正体が判明！" [The true identity of the skeleton panda sea squirt has finally been revealed!] (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). Hokkaido University. 2024-02-01.
- ^ a b "Skeleton panda sea squirt sprays Japanese researchers with questions". The News. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hasegawa, Naohiro; Kajihara, Hiroshi (2024). "Graveyards of Giant Pandas at the Bottom of the Sea? A Strange-Looking New Species of Colonial Ascidians in the Genus Clavelina (Tunicata: Ascidiacea)". Species Diversity: 53–64. doi:10.12782/specdiv.29.53. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ "Meet Japan's skeleton panda sea squirt". Yahoo! News. 2024-02-15. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ Rocha, Rosana Moreira da; Zanata, Thais Bastos; Moreno, Tatiane Regina (March 2012). "Keys for the identification of families and genera of Atlantic shallow water ascidians". Biota Neotropica. 12: 269–303. doi:10.1590/S1676-06032012000100022. ISSN 1676-0611.