Botrylloides Explained

Botrylloides is a genus of ascidian tunicates in the family Styelidae.

Description

Like Botryllus, Botrylloides are flat sheets of organisms which can be found covering ropes, boat hulls, horseshoe crabs, seaweeds, and any still or slow-moving object in saltwater. Also both are considered to be invasive Ascidians, found in many ports around the world. Invasive tunicates such as these, Didemnum sp., and Styela clava are a problem for shellfish and other marine life populations, and cause fouling of boats and piers.

Species within the genus Botrylloides include:^[1]

• Botrylloides anceps (Herdman, 1891)
• Botrylloides aureum (Sars, 1851)
• Botrylloides chevalense Herdman, 1906
• Botrylloides diegensis Ritter & Forsyth, 1917
• Botrylloides fuscus Saito & Watanabe, 1985
• Botrylloides giganteum (PÈrËs, 1949)
• Botrylloides israeliense Brunetti, 2009
• Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides lenis Saito & Watanabe, 1985
• Botrylloides lentus Saito & Watanabe, 1985
• Botrylloides magnicoecum (Hartmeyer, 1912)
• Botrylloides nigrum Herdman, 1886
• Botrylloides perspicuus (Herdman, 1886)
• Botrylloides pizoni Brunetti & Mastrototaro, 2012
• Botrylloides saccus Kott, 2003
• Botrylloides simodensis Saito & Watanabe, 1981
• Botrylloides superbum (Drasche, 1883)
• Botrylloides tyreum Herdman, 1886
• Botrylloides violaceus Oka, 1927

Species names currently considered to be synonyms:

• Botrylloides albicans Milne Edwards, 1841: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides aurantium Oka, 1927: synonym of Botryllus aurantius (Oka, 1927)
• Botrylloides aurea Sars, 1851: synonym of Botrylloides aureum (Sars, 1851)
• Botrylloides boloniense Giard, 1875: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides carnosum Oka, 1927: synonym of Botrylloides violaceus Oka, 1927
• Botrylloides chazaliei Sluiter, 1898: synonym of Botrylloides nigrum Herdman, 1886
• Botrylloides clavelina Giard, 1872: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides cyanescens Giard, 1888: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides diegense Ritter & Forsyth, 1917: synonym of Botrylloides diegensis Ritter & Forsyth, 1917
• Botrylloides eligulatum Beniaminson, 1975: synonym of Botryllus tuberatus Ritter & Forsyth, 1917
• Botrylloides fulgurale Herdman, 1886: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides gregalis Sluiter, 1898: synonym of Botryllus gregalis (Sluiter, 1898)
• Botrylloides insigne Giard, 1872: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides lateritium Beniaminson, 1975: synonym of Botrylloides violaceus Oka, 1927
• Botrylloides leachi (Savigny, 1816): synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides leptum Herdman, 1899: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides maeandrium Sluiter, 1898: synonym of Botryllus maeandrius (Sluiter, 1898)
• Botrylloides maeandrius Sluiter, 1898: synonym of Botryllus maeandrius (Sluiter, 1898)
• Botrylloides magnicoecus Hartmeyer, 1912: synonym of Botrylloides magnicoecum (Hartmeyer, 1912)
• Botrylloides magnum (Ritter, 1901): synonym of Botryllus magnus Ritter, 1901
• Botrylloides magnus : synonym of Botryllus magnus Ritter, 1901
• Botrylloides meandrinum Sluiter: synonym of Botryllus maeandrius (Sluiter, 1898)
• Botrylloides namei (Hartmeyer & Michaelsen, 1928): synonym of Botryllus planus (Van Name, 1902)
• Botrylloides niger Herdman, 1886: synonym of Botrylloides nigrum Herdman, 1886
• Botrylloides parvulum Huitfeld-Kaas, 1896: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides parvulus Huitfeld-Kaas, 1896: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides perspicuum Herdman, 1886: synonym of Botrylloides perspicuus (Herdman, 1886)
• Botrylloides planus : synonym of Botryllus planus (Van Name, 1902)
• Botrylloides prostratum Giard, 1872: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides purpureum Herdman, 1886: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides pusilla Alder, 1863: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides radiata Alder & Hancock, 1848: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides ramulosa Alder & Hancock, 1848: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides rotifera Milne Edwards, 1841: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides rubrum Milne Edwards, 1841: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides rugosum Gottschaldt, 1894: synonym of Botrylloides aureum (Sars, 1851)
• Botrylloides sparsa Alder, 1863: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides translucidum Hartmeyer, 1912: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides vinosa Alder & Hancock, 1912: synonym of Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botrylloides violaceum Oka, 1927: synonym of Botrylloides violaceus Oka, 1927

External links

• http://www.exoticsguide.org/species_pages/b_violaceus.html

Notes and References

1. Sanamyan, K. (2015). Botrylloides Milne Edwards, 1841 . In: Shenkar, N.; Gittenberger, A.; Lambert, G.; Rius, M.; Moreira Da Rocha, R.; Swalla, B.J.; Turon, X. (2015) Ascidiacea World Database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-12-23