taxonID	type	description	language	source
3055E11FFF94FF9471A5C9B7FD856A39.taxon	etymology	Etymology. dedicated to Philippe Bouchet chief scientist of the Atimo Vatae survey Station. TA 12 (MHNH A 1 APL. B 553, holotype) In a cushion 4 cm in diameter and 2.2 cm thick (Fig. 4 A), the colony was attached along its whole base. The colour in life was probably red and turned brown in formalin. The circular systems are obvious according to the absence of sand grains around the common cloacal apertures. The incrustation of sand is limited to the colony surface and the basal layer. Rare particles are found between the zooids into the soft and transparent tunic. The zooids, in regular rings, occupy the whole thickness of the colony by their long post-abdomen. They are pigmented in red. The oral aperture has 6 lobes. The atrial siphon has an uncommon structure (Fig. 3 A, F). A simple languet arises from the dorsal side of the aperture. In addition a thread-like languet prolongs the posterior rim of the siphon. Another languet protrudes from the dorsal body wall behind the atrial siphon. The musculature is made of 5 longitudinal muscle fibres limited to the thoracic half length. There are 12 to 13 rows of stigmata (Fig. 3 B). The gut loop (Fig. 3 C, E) is wide with well separate segments. The oesophagus is slightly inflated in its middle part. The stomach is asymmetrical with more than 20 folds ending in sharp tips at the oesophagus entrance. The annular post-stomach is followed by an ampulla. The rectum begins with caeca. The ovary is at some distance from the gut. The testis vesicles occupy the first half length of the post-abdomen (Fig. 3 D). The sperm duct remains bright red in formalin. No larvae have been found. This species differs from other Aplidium having a dozen of stigmata rows and numerous stomach folds by the peculiar structure of the atrial siphon.	en	Monniot, Françoise (2012): Some ascidians from the southern coast of Madagascar collected during the “ AtimoVatae ” survey. Zootaxa 3197: 1-42, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.246182
3055E11FFF80FF8171A5C8A2FCBD6CA8.taxon	etymology	Etymology. in latin: pedica = peduncle Stations. TR 17, 15 colonies (MNHN: A 1 POL. B 106 type). TA 26, 1 colony (MNHN: A 1 POL. B 106). All colonies have a hard cylindrical incrusted peduncle bearing an elongated lobe in shape of a muff (Fig. 12 B). The largest colony has a head 12 cm long, 5 cm wide and 2 cm thick, on a peduncle 3 cm long. The zooids are in circular systems and perpendicular to the colony surface. The systems are not easily seen at the colony surface which is smooth but irregularly embedded with sand (Fig. 12 B). The tunic is brown, superficially resistant but internally softer with rare sediment particles included. The pigment of the tunic does not diffuse into the fixative. The zooids are colourless. The oral siphon has 6 lobes. The atrial siphon is very anterior with a long languet pointed or dented at the tip and has a posterior button-shaped protrusion. The numerous oral tentacles are in 3 orders of size. The thoracic musculature is weak with 8 to 10 short longitudinal fibres on each side. The branchial sac has 15 rows of stigmata (Fig. 14 A). On the right side and in the middle of the branchial sac I have counted 18 stigmata in a row and 12 papillae. The stigmata rows are not interrupted on the dorsal line. The abdomen with a twisted gut loop has the common shape of the genus. The post-abdomen begins by a long thin peduncle. The ovary is central between the testis lobes. The larvae (Fig. 14 B) 450 µm long are circled by a tail in one and a half turn. There are 3 short adhesive papillae and 2 odd vesicles between them; 4 round anterior vesicles are on each side. Multiple small ampullae occupy the dorsal and ventral sides of the trunk. Ocellus, otolith and an oxalate crystal are in the trunk. By the colony shape P. pedicellatum looks like P. ti ng e n s n. sp. It differs in the pigment, more numerous stigmata in a row and the presence of round papillae on the transverse vessels. Both species differ from other Polyclinum of the Indian Ocean by their pedunculate colonies.	en	Monniot, Françoise (2012): Some ascidians from the southern coast of Madagascar collected during the “ AtimoVatae ” survey. Zootaxa 3197: 1-42, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.246182
3055E11FFF81FF8371A5C94DFD926A62.taxon	etymology	Etymology. latin: tingere = to stain. Stations. TA 12 (MNHN: A 1 POL. B 104, type). TA 26 (MNHN: A 1 POL. B 105). The colonies deeply stain the fixative in red-brown. They are pedunculate (Fig. 15 D). The upper part 3 to 6.5 cm in diameter is holding on a narrower stem 0.5 to 3.5 cm long. The head contains more or less sand at the surface layer but the peduncle is densely incrusted. There is always a groove making an obvious limit between the head and the peduncle even when their diameter is not very different. The tunic in formalin is brown-red and the zooids are of a dark purple. The internal part of the colony is soft with only few sand grains. The zooids are arranged in circular systems. The thoraces are narrow, always contracted. The oral siphon is short with 6 lobes. The atrial siphon, at the level of the first stigmata row, is more or less stretched in a tube prolonged by a long languet (Fig. 15 B). A small button protrudes at the base of the siphon. The musculature is weak in 8 to 10 fibres on each side, only present in the anterior part of the thorax. There are 11 to 14 rows of stigmata and 10 to 12 stigmata in a row. No papillae have been detected on the transverse vessels a character ascertained in zooids of all colonies. The digestive tract has the normal twisted shape of the genus, it is black. The post-abdomen is drop-shaped on a long peduncle. The ovary lies in the centre of a bunch of testis vesicles. The larvae (Fig. 15 C) are incubated in the atrial cavity and do not distend the body wall. The trunk measures 550 µm. The tail coils in ¾ of a turn. The 3 adhesive papillae have 4 round vesicles on each side and a bunch of ampullae are placed laterally and ventrally near the origin of the tail. One or several oxalate crystals are obvious in the visceral mass. This species differs from other Polyclinum species of the Indian Ocean except P. pedunculatum n. sp. by the shape of the colonies with a peduncle clearly delimited from the head of the lobes. The intense pigment diffusing into the fixative is distinctive. The absence of papillae on the transverse vessels would justify placing the species in the genus Aplidiopsis but the twisted gut loop and sperm duct as the thin peduncle of the abdomen allied to the thorax shape are Polyclinum characters	en	Monniot, Françoise (2012): Some ascidians from the southern coast of Madagascar collected during the “ AtimoVatae ” survey. Zootaxa 3197: 1-42, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.246182
3055E11FFF83FF8271A5CCF3FC266812.taxon	discussion	Remarks. The colonies of Madagascar are identified according to the description of the species given by Tokioka (1953) for the Japanese material. The geographic distance between the populations suggests a convergence more than a specific identity, the identification remains in absence of obvious anatomical differences.	en	Monniot, Françoise (2012): Some ascidians from the southern coast of Madagascar collected during the “ AtimoVatae ” survey. Zootaxa 3197: 1-42, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.246182
3055E11FFF85FF8671A5CAF6FD4D6E0A.taxon	etymology	Etymology. from Latin: spica = ear. Station. TA 25 (MNHN: A 1 MON 5, Type). The single colony is made of 7 bunches of zooids, each 11 cm long, settled as a botanic ear-shaped inflorescence (Fig. 19 AB). The stems of these clusters are united at their base. The zooids are closely packed, totally isolated from each other and only attached on the common stem at their base. The tunic embedded with sand is easily removed from the body. Both siphons are apical in a short tube ending in 6 lobes. The atrial siphon is curved toward the outside (Fig. 20 C). The musculature is made of longitudinal and transverse fibres regularly crossed to design square meshes. The tentacles are numerous, in two orders of size in a ring. The dorsal tubercle is urnshaped. The branchial sac has 13 rows of stigmata the last one is incomplete (Fig. 20 A). In the middle of the branchial sac on the right side I numbered 32 stigmata in a half row and 12 papillae on the transverse vessel. There are no parastigmatic vessels. The abdomen is shorter than the thorax and separated by a narrowing (Fig. 20 C). The stomach wall has about 16 folds more or less interrupted. The post-stomach is annular. The rectum begins in the ascending part of the loop with a caecum facing the annular post-stomach. The abdomen gives way to the postabdomen without constriction and becomes progressively thinner to enter the peduncle. The ovary is located close to the gut loop. No testis has been found in any of the colony lobes. A single larva (Fig. 20 B) is incubated in the atrial cavity with a trunk 1.2 mm long and the tail is coiled in one and a half turn. The 3 adhesive papillae diverge being separated by 2 odd vesicles. A large number of small ampullae are found anteriorly on each side, they reach dorsally the embryonic thorax and ventrally the origin of the tail (Fig. 20 B). Ocellus and otolith are present. The anatomy of the zooids of Monniotus spica n. sp. is the same as in M. ramosus Millar, 1988, except the colony shape and less stigmata rows in the branchial sac.	en	Monniot, Françoise (2012): Some ascidians from the southern coast of Madagascar collected during the “ AtimoVatae ” survey. Zootaxa 3197: 1-42, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.246182
3055E11FFF8AFF8A71A5CF93FC51694A.taxon	etymology	Etymology. In Latin pustulosus = with pustules Station. TA 56 (MNHN A 3 EUD 353 Holotype) The single colony is a sheet 7 x 5.5 cm large and 0.8 mm thick, completely embedded with sand. The surface is erected in small round protrusions as pimples (Fig. 22 E), each of them containing the siphons of one zooid. The tunic is glassy, colourless and resistant. The zooids (Fig. 22 F) occupy the whole thickness of the colony, perpendicular to the surface. The siphons are short with 6 lobes. The body wall is opaque and colourless. The thorax, always contracted, counts about 25 stigmata on each side in the median row. The abdomen narrow at its beginning is enlarged at the gonad level. The stomach is short, smooth walled, at 2 / 3 of the abdomen length. The intestinal loop is straight without individualised compartments. The gonads occupy a large part of the gut loop behind the stomach with very numerous testis vesicles in a bush and a central ovary. Small irregular shining crystals are scattered upon the gonad mass. Post-abdominal vascular processes are present. Two or three embryos are incubated in the atrial cavity distended even in less contracted zooids but which does not form a pedunculate pouch. The mature larva is 0.8 mm long, colourless, with a tail in ¾ of a turn. The 3 adhesive papillae are divergent, sided by 4 large vesicles; the median ones are bi-dentate on each side or only one of them is bi-dentate on a side (Fig. 22 G, H). Among the sandy Eudistoma species of the Indian Ocean, this new species differs by the shape of the colony with both siphons of each zooid grouped in a surface protrusion of the tunic.	en	Monniot, Françoise (2012): Some ascidians from the southern coast of Madagascar collected during the “ AtimoVatae ” survey. Zootaxa 3197: 1-42, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.246182
3055E11FFF8CFF8C71A5CA2AFD216C99.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Eight species of Polycitorella have been described. P. hospitiolum (Savigny, 1816) and P. stellifera Monniot & Monniot, 2001, both differ by few stigmata rows. P. setoensis Nishikawa, 1980 has disk-shaped spicules. P. coronaria Monniot F., 1988 has circular systems and up to 20 rows of stigmata. P. orientalis Kott, 1990 has no dark pigment, spicules of 25 – 35 µm, 10 rows of stigmata and no circular systems. P. m a r i a e Michaelsen, 1924 from New Zealand lacks dark pigment, lacks circular systems and the spicules are smaller. P. pallida Millar, 1962, with 16 stigmata rows, has no dark pigment. The type specimen of P. p e re s i (MNHN A 3 POL. B 11) consists in small pieces. The colour in life was said to be red. In formalin, the upper layer of the samples is soft and black, the columnar base is white and hard. The zooids are damaged, with about 13 rows of stigmata. The general aspect is the same as in Atimo Vatae samples and the spicules are the same in shape and size. P. p e re s i is only known from Madagascar.	en	Monniot, Françoise (2012): Some ascidians from the southern coast of Madagascar collected during the “ AtimoVatae ” survey. Zootaxa 3197: 1-42, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.246182
