Orange Sea Sheath

Appearance

Colonies of this species are joined cushions of 2-5cm across. They have a translucent test through which bright orange zooids can be seen. The colony surface is smooth, without sediment. Zooids are long and thin, and the postabdomen is much longer than the thorax and abdomen together. Both apertures are short with six rounded lobes. There are three rows of about 20 long stigmata. There are two raphea languets that are short and clearly displaced on the left side. Thoracic musculature is weak. The digestive tract makes a tight, straight loop beginning with a long and narrow esophagus that enters dorsally into an asymmetrical, smooth-walled stomach. The rectum begins with an enlarged segment at the bottom of the gut loop.

Distribution

Central Pacific, Indo Pacific, Indonesia, Palau, Raja Amat, Western Pacific Ocean.

Habitat

It is a sessile, coral-reef associated species living at depths of 3-10 m.

Reproduction

Members of the class Ascidiacea are hermaphroditic; both cross- and self-fertilization is typical. Life cycle: Eggs develop into lecithotrophic larva before metamorphosing into benthic adults.

Food

Filter feeder

Uses

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the MeOH-CH2Cl2 extract of the ascidian Pseudodistoma megalarva yielded three new piperidine alkaloids, pseudodistomins with antineoplasic activity