Appendicularia (animal genus)
| Appendicularia | |
|---|---|
.jpeg)
| |
| Appendicularia sp. specimen | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Tunicata |
| Class: | Appendicularia |
| Order: | Copelata |
| Family: | Fritillariidae |
| Subfamily: | Appendiculariinae Seeliger, 1895 |
| Genus: | Appendicularia Fol, 1874 |
| Type species | |
| Appendicularia sicula Fol, 1874
| |
| Species | |
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Appendicularia is a genus of larvaceans in the family Fritillariidae.
History[edit]
The genus name Appendicularia was originally coined by Chamisso and Eysenhardt in 1821, naming the first discovered larvacean Appendicularia flagellum. However, the lack of an accurate description made it a nomen nudum, leading to it being reused by Hermann Fol for the species Appendicularia sicula.[2]
Description[edit]
Appendicularia is relatively small in comparison to other larvaceans, with an adult body length of around 0.4 mm and a tail length of around 1.1 mm in A. sicula. The body is flattened in its front half, and bulged in its posterior half. The house is ellipsoidal, measuring around 2.6 mm in length.
Distribution[edit]
The first description of Appendicularia sicula was made from specimens found near Messina, Italy.[2] Since then, it has also been found in low-depth waters near the coasts of the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Hokkaido.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ "THE STATUS OF THE TUNICATE GENERA APPENDICULARIA AND FRITILLARIA" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Archives de zoologie expérimentale et générale". p. 715. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "ゴマオタマボヤ属" [Genus Appendicularia]. Biological Information System for Marine Life (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 April 2023.
External links[edit]
- Appendicularia at WoRMS
 | This tunicate-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |