Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2006, Síða 143

STAKIR SJÓBJØLGAR (TUNICATA, ASCIDIACEA
OG SORBERACEA) VIÐ FØROYAR
141
BlOFAR water mass: AW.
North Atlantic/Nordic Seas distribution: Southern coasts
ofNorway; westcrn coast of Sweden; coast of France;
coasts of Great Britain; Orkney; Shetland; Faroes
(Millar, 1966).
General distribution: A. mentula is exclusivc to thc Eu-
ropean region. It has its distribution in the Black Sea,
Mediterranean, Lusitanian and boreal areas. The
northern boundaries arc the Faroes and Molde Fjord
in Norway.
Gencral depth range: It occurs from the lower part of the
shore to about 200 m (Millar, 1966).
Remarks: During thc BIOFAR programme, A. mentula
was recorded for the first time in the Faroes. Thc lo-
cality south east of the islands (east of Munkagrun-
ninum) at 290 m of water depth is the deepest record
hitherto.
^igure 9. Ascidia obliqua (from Liitzen, 1967).
^scidia obliqua Alder, 1863
Good description: Hartmeyer, 1924: 57-68; Van Name,
1945; Millar, 1966:55, fig. 34.
fcvious rccords: Danish mail-ship 1878? Probably
"Diana ”: Vestmanna 18 m(identificationby Klixbiill
in 1880(Hartmeyer, 1924)). ‘‘Diana’’ 1884?:Local-
ity not specified (identification by Fjelstrup in 1887).
“Diana” 1901: Vestmanna 9-23 nt (Hartmeyer,
1924); “Michael Sars” 1902: Mýlingsgrunnurin 110
m (62°29'N ; 07°37'W) (Bjerkan, 1905); “Thor’’
1904: Eastem slope of Faroe Bank 875 m (61°15'N
; 09°35'W) (Hartmeyer, 1924). “Beskytteren ” 1926:
North ofViðareiði (1926); Hvannasund 80 m (1926)
(Árnbáck-Christie-Linde, 1952). “Dana” 1927:
Húsagrynnan 111 m (62°04'N ; 06°13'W); Norðhav-
ið 82 m (62°65'N ; 06°22'W) (Ámback-Christie-
Linde, 1952).
BIOFAR stations (number of individuals in parentheses):
1(1); 33(1); 49(3); 56(1); 106(1); 111(2); 156(2);
163(2); 368(7); 371(3); 425(1); 474(4); 483(1);
1025(1); 1235(1); 1247(1); 1388(1); 1434(1);
1527(1); 1562(1); 1607(6); 1612(1); 1628(2);
1632(3); 1638(1); 1662(1); 1663(1); 1669(1);
1744(1); 1750(8); 1786(1); 1801(1); 1810(1);
1820(1).
BIOFAR area: Coastal and off shorc records on the
plateau east of the islands; one record from the Faroe-
Iceland Ridge (Fig. 10).
BIOFAR depth range: 5-509 m.
BIOFAR temperatures: Estimated range 1.6 to 8.0 °C.
BIOFAR water mass: Mainly AW.
North Atlantic/Nordic Seas distribution: Svalbard; Bear
Island; coast of Norway; westem coast of Sweden;
northern North Sea; Shetland; Faroes; Iceland; coasts
of Greenland; northern North America (Millar,
1966).
General distribution: Ascidia obiiqua occurs in the Arc-
tic region of the north Pacific from the Siberian Sea
westward to Greenland and on both sides of the bo-
rcal Atlantic.
General depth range: From shallow water down to more
than 1000 m depth (Millar, 1966).
Remarks: In northern Norway this species is one of the
most common ascidians (Bjerkan, 1908) and /1. obli-
qua is frequent also in the Faroes. It has the largest
eggs within the family (Ámbáck-Christie-Linde,
1934).
Ascidia tritonis Herdman, 1883
Good description: Herdman, 1883:96-98; pl. 16, figs. 1-
6; Hartmcyer, 1924: 68-71; pl. 1, fig. 18).
Previous records: “Triton ", 1882: South west of the
Wyville Thomson Ridge, 1042 m (59°51 'N;08° 18' W)
(Herdman, 1883; Tizard, 1883). “Michael Sars’’
1902: Westem slope of the Faroe Bank 750 and 840
m (6r07'N;09°33'W and 61°08'N;09°46'W respec-
tivcly) (Bjerkan, 1905).