Oikopleura (Vexillaria) rufescens Fol 1872

• Main Authors: Franco, P., Dahms, H. - U., Lo, W. - T., Hwang, J. - S.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Appendicularia; Copelata; Oikopleuridae; Oikopleura; Oikopleura rufescens; Arctic; Pacific; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/5190617; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5190617

Oikopleura (Vexillaria) rufescens Morphology A large appendicularian species. The trunk is compact with a length of 2–7 mm and the tail is long with a strong chord and medium-sized muscular bands. At the right side of the proximal third part of the tail, there are small sub-chordal glands. The endostyle is long and narrow, and at each of its sides it is accompanied by an ovoid buccal gland. The left lobe of the stomach is round. A lower lip is present in juveniles; adults possess a membraneous lip. The ovary and testes are together forming a round structure behind the stomach and oesophagus (Marine Species Identification Portal 2017). Biogeography Typical cold-water appendicularian species from the Arctic, the northern North Atlantic and northern North Pacific Oceans (being most abundant north of 60°N) (WoRMS Editorial Board 2017). Published as part of Franco, P., Dahms, H. - U., Lo, W. - T. & Hwang, J. - S., 2017, Pelagic tunicates in the China Seas, pp. 917-936 in Journal of Natural History 51 (15 - 16) on pages 927-928, DOI:10.1080/00222933.2017.1293180, http://zenodo.org/record/5180954