Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2006, Qupperneq 169

STAKIR SJÓBJØLGAR (TUNICATA, ASCIDIACEA
OG SORBERACEA) VIÐ FØROYAR
167
Figure 51. BIOFAR records of/I. arcticus.
Class SORBERACEA
Family HEXACROBYLIDAE
Genus: Asajirus Kott, 1989
(syn. Hexadactylus Monniot, 1990)
Asajirus arcticus (Hartineyer, 1923)
Common synonyms: Hexadactylus arcticus (Hartmeyer,
1923); Hexacrobylus arcticus Hartmeyer, 1923.
Good description: Hartmeyer, 1923: 133-137, pl. 1, fig.
5-6; Monniot and Monniot, 1990: 261-263, fig. 11.
Frevious records: None.
HlOFAR stations (number of individuals in parentheses):
228( 11); 478( 17); 479(37); 480(6).
BlOFAR area: Faroe-Shetland Channel (Fig. 51).
blOFAR depth range: 806-973 m.
BIOFAR temperature: Estimated -0.6 °C.
HIOFAR water mass: Mainly NW.
^orth Atlantic/Nordic Seas: Norwegian Sea; eastern
slope of the Faroe-Iceland Ridge; Iceland Sea; and
the Greenland Sea (Monniot and Monniot, 1990).
Oeneral distribution: As above.
Oeneral depth range: In deep waters from 806 (present
study) to 2538 m (Monniot and Monniot, 1990).
Remarks: The records from BIOFAR in the Faroe-Shet-
land Channel are the southernmost (60°54'N;05°00'
W, st. 479) and the ones from the most shallow wa-
ters (806 m, st. 480) until now.
Due to the small size of the specimens and since A.
arcticus and A. ledanoisi are very niuch alike, dis-
tinguished mainly on the length of the sperm duct
(longer in A. ledanoisi), Dr. Francoise Monniot has
re-examined the specimens and confirms that all are
very young and small specimens of A. arcticus.
Kott (1992) synonymized A. arcticus and a number
of other related species with Asajirus indicus. I do
not consider myself experienced enough to comment
on the disagreement regarding the taxonomy of this
difficult group, but I will, however, referto these spec-
intens as A. arcticus.
On to that, the validity of this class is qucstioned by
some taxonomists. According to Kott (1989) all mem-
bers of the farnily Hexacrobylidae belong to the class
Ascidiacea, and she placed this family (thc single
family within Sorberacea) in the class Ascidiacea,
Ordcr Stolidobranchia. Kott’s view is supported by
Sanamyan (Karcn Sanamyan, pers. comm.).