Sherlock R E, Walz K R, Schlining K L, Robison B H
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA 95039 USA.
Mar Biol. 2017;164(1):20. doi: 10.1007/s00227-016-3046-0. Epub 2016 Dec 15.
sp. nov. is described from the mesopelagic northeast Pacific Ocean (Monterey Bay, California, USA). Larvaceans in the genus are large, often abundant zooplankters found throughout much of the world ocean, but until recently it was unclear whether more than a single species of existed. Using remotely operated vehicles, we have made hundreds of in situ observations, compiled two decades of time-series data, and carefully collected enough specimens to determine that three species of occur in Monterey Bay: (Chun), (Garstang), and sp. nov. is readily distinguished from its two congeners by the distinct blue outline visible around the periphery of its tail, and by other aspects of its morphology, ecology, and genetics. The abundance of larvaceans means they are ecologically important as particle processors. Species within the genus, , comprise the largest of described larvaceans.
新物种是从东北太平洋中上层海域（美国加利福尼亚州蒙特雷湾）描述的。该属的幼形海鞘是大型且常常数量丰富的浮游动物，在世界大部分海洋中都能发现，但直到最近还不清楚该属是否存在不止一个物种。通过遥控潜水器，我们进行了数百次原位观测，汇编了二十年的时间序列数据，并仔细收集了足够的标本，以确定蒙特雷湾有三种该属的幼形海鞘：（春氏幼形海鞘）、（加氏幼形海鞘）和新物种。新物种很容易通过其尾部周围明显可见的蓝色轮廓以及其形态、生态和遗传学的其他方面与它的两个同属物种区分开来。幼形海鞘的丰富数量意味着它们作为颗粒处理器在生态上很重要。该属中的物种，构成了已描述的最大的幼形海鞘。
