Molgula pedunculata - Species - Antarctic Field Guides

Molgula pedunculata Herdman, 1881

provided by British Antarctic Survey

Description

As its name suggests Molgula pedunculata usually has a long stalk or peduncle, which may have fine hairs on it. It is large and fairly translucent and is typically 10-20cm.

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Species distribution

Distribution info

10 to 437m [shallow depths all from Dave-check ok#], but generally below 100m, from Sub-Antarctica to the Antarctic Peninsula and Continent. Molgula pedunculata has a holdfast which allows it to attach to both hard and soft substrates [??#], and it often grows in patches or dense clumps.

Ecology

Antarctic ascidians grow relatively fast, appearing to be an exception to the Antarctic tendency towards large, slow-growing invertebrates. Molgula pedunculata has been shown to grow fast at first (up to 16.8cm in two years), but grows slower as it gets older. It is a suspension feeder, feeding mostly on resuspended benthic material, and it spawns between August and November.