Botryllus flavus Sanamyan & Sanamyan, 2017, n. sp.

• Main Authors: Sanamyan, Karen, Sanamyan, Nadya
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Ascidiacea; Pleurogona; Styelidae; Botryllus; Botryllus flavus; Pacific; Atlasova; Kamchatka; Alaska
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6049276; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6049276

Botryllus flavus n. sp. (Figures 6, 7) Botryllus sp. Sanamyan, 2000: 76. Botryllus magnus: Sanamyan & Sanamyan, 2010: 245 (Kamchatka). Not B. magnus Ritter, 1901: 255 (Alaska). Sanamyan, 2000: 76 (Commander Islands). Material examined. Holotype: KBPGI 1449 /1, Kuril Islands, Matua Island, Point Kluv, 17 m, 25.08.2016. Paratypes: KBPGI 1450 /2, Matua Island, Point Kluv, 15 m, 26.08.2016, one colony. Additional material examined. Pacific coast of Kamchatka, Starichkov Island, 28.07.2004, 19 m, one colony (Figures 6 C, D); 21.09.2004, 20 m, one colony; Kuril Islands, Atlasova Island, 17 m, 26.07.1989, one colony. Description. The species forms extensive sheets encrusting stones. The colony of the holotype is 8 x 5 cm in extent and from 5 to 10 mm thick (preserved). The surface is clear, sometimes with some sediment attached on the periphery of the colony or between the systems, but usually free from foreign matter (Figure 6). The common tissue of the colony may be depressed between some systems, or even completely reduced between some groups of systems, so that the colony usually is not represented by one large continuous sheet but looks rather like a group of several large and small sheets joined together (Figures 6 C, D). Numerous elongated crowded ampullae are present on the periphery and, in a lesser quantity, between the systems in colonies from Kamchatka (Figure 6 C, D); in the colonies from Matua Island (the type material) they are sparse. The colouration of live specimens is very constant. All recorded colonies are yellow with a reddish tint underwater. The colour is monotonous, there are no any colour markings over zooids, etc., as often seen on some other Botryllus species. Upon collecting, on the air, live colonies quickly become deep-orange or bright red probably because of oxidation of the pigment they contain. In formaline they also become red, then the red pigment is washed out, and during several weeks the fluid become deep dirtyreddish and the colony loses deep colour. Perfectly preserved, not ...