Aplidium falklandicum Millar 1960

Aplidium falklandicum Millar, 1960

(Figures 2A, 5A,B)

Aplidium falklandicum Millar, 1960: 33; 1970: 100; Monniot & Monniot, 1983: 15 (synonymy).

Material examined: Chile, 4. region: Punta de Choros, Rhodymenia, 10m, two colonies; La gruta, 25m, one colony.

Remarks. Examined specimens have solid oval colonies with a rather small area of attachment. Zooids are in small circular or oval systems (Figure 5A). The test is soft, gelatinous, transparent and colourless; the living specimens are whitish or colourless. Thread-like zooids are up to 10 mm long. Stomach wall has five longitudinal folds. According to Millar (1960) the number of rows of stigmata may vary from 12 to 23, a much wider range than occur in most Aplidium species. In the present specimens zooids have 12–14 rows of stigmata. Monniot & Monniot (1983) reported that the number of rows of stigmata is variable but rarely attain 16. Unusual white "thoracic triangles" described for this species by Millar (1960: 35) were not found in the present material. Other features of zooid agree well with the original description, and larva (Figure 2A) is identical to those illustrated by Millar (1960).