Latitudinal Difference in the Species Richness of Photosymbiotic Ascidians

Ascidians harboring cyanobacterial symbionts are exclusively found in tropical and subtropical waters because of the vulnerability of the photosymbionts to low temperatures. The distribution ranges of each species may expand toward higher latitude due to global warming, and thus, the photosymbiotic ascidian fauna can be an indicator of marine environment. To record the current status, we surveyed the fauna along the east coast of Taiwan. The species richness and composition were different in five areas along the coast; five or more species were recorded from the middle-east, southeast, and south coasts, whereas only one species was found from the northeast coast, and no species was recorded on the north coast. This gap in the species richness is probably related to the Kuroshio Current.

Lissoclinum punctatum. The first record from Taiwan

Read the full article, published by Zoological Studies, here

Follow Zoological Studies on Twitter @ZooStudies and Facebook