Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2006, Page 167

STAKIR SJÓBJØLGAR (TUNICATA, ASCIDIACEA
OG SORBERACEA) VIÐ FØROYAR
165
Figure 47. Molgula occulla (from Liitzen, 1967).
ern slope of Lousy Bank (496 and 700 m) (Fig. 41).
BIOFAR depth range: 5-923 m.
BIOFAR temperature: Unknown.
BIOFAR water mass: Mainly AW.
North Atlantic/Nordic Seasdistribution: CostofNorway;
western coast of Sweden; Kattegat; Skagerak; North
Sea; EnglishChannel; wcstcm coastofGrcat Britain;
Ireland (Millar, 1966).
General distribution: M. occulta is found in the boreal
eastern Atlantic-, Lusitanian-, and Mediterranean re-
gions. In addition to this it is found in the Mauritan-
ian and the Senegalian regions (Monniot, 1969c).
General depth range: From shallow watcr down to about
100 m (Millar, 1966); 5-923 m (present study).
Rcmarks: Based on morphological comparisons the clos-
est relatives to M. occulla are M. bleizi, M. oculata,
and M. siphonalis (see Monniot, 1969c) and this is
also in agreement with the phylogenetic results
(Huber et al., 2000), except for M. siphonalis which
not yet has been examined by molecular analyses.
Onc spccimen deviates by having a ventrally oriented
oviduct and a highly reduced dorsal fold of the
branchial sac. Dr. Francoise Monniot has confirmed
the idcntity of this specimcn.
Information on records from stations 886, 887, and
888 are from Dinesen and Ockelmann (2005).
Molgula siphonalis Kiær, 1896
Good description: Hartmeyer, 1923: 105-114;VanName,
1945: 377-379; pl. 1, fig. 2 and pl. 6, ftg. 3; Millar,
1966: 112, ftg. 79.
Previous records: “Thor" 1899: Between Stong and
Figure 48. Molgula siphonalis (from Liitzen, 1967).
Eystnes 180;m. Identified by Th. Mortensen (Hart-
meyer, 1912). "Beskytteren" 1926: Vágur, 43 m
(Árnbáck-Christie-Linde, 1952).
BIOFAR stations (number of individuals in parentheses):
158(1); 1019(2); 1664(6); 1801(15).
BIOFAR area: Two coastal records (Hvalbiarciði,
Suðuroy 2-3 m; Skálavík, Sandoy 15 m); two records
on the plateau of the islands (east of Nólsoy 55-60
m; between Suðuroy Bank and Sandoy Bank 322 m)
(Fig. 41).
BIOFAR depth rattge: 2-322 m.
BIOFAR temperature: Estimated 6.6 “C (based on stn.
158).
BIOFAR water mass: Mainly AW.
North Atlantic/Nordic Seas distribution: Svalbard; Bear
Island; Norwegian cost; western coast of Swcdcn;
Faroes; Iceland; coasts of Greenland; northem North
America (Millar, 1966).
General distribution: M. siphonalis has the largest oc-
currence in the Arctic where it is found from the Kara
Sea in the east to Disko Fjord in western Greenland,
and one record is from the Bering Sea. M. siphonalis
is found on both sides of the boreal Atlantic and these
records are chiefly confmed to the northem parts, al-
though southem records occur on both sides, i.e.,
Gullmarfjorden, Sweden (Árnbáck-Christie-Linde,
1928) and 41°49’ N; 65"49’ 30” W offthe American
east coast (Van Name, 1945).
General depth range: From shallow water about 300 m
(Millar, 1966).
Remarks: M. siphonalis is probably indigenous to the
Arctic (Hartmeyer, 1923; Árnbáck-Christie-Linde,
1928;Thompson, 1930; Monniot, 1969c) and as men-