Family KOWALEVSKIIDAE
Compiler and date details
P. Kott, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Introduction
The family Kowalevskiidae Lahille, 1888 is characterised by a short trunk, and lacks both endostyle and heart. The ciliated ring around the internal opening of each spiracle is compressed into a long narrow slit with upper and lower rims. The stomach wall consists of few, large, conspicuous cells; a spectacular, large, button-shaped cell is on the upper part of the oikoplast epithelium. The outline of the tail is fusiform or spindle-shaped.
One of the two known species is recorded from Australia—being taken only once off southeastern Queensland and once off central New South Wales (Thompson 1945).
General References
Lahille, F. 1888. Etude systématique des tuniciers. Comptes Rendus de l'Association Française pour l'Avancement des Sciences 1887(2): 667-677
Thompson, H. 1945. Pelagic Tunicates of Australia. Melbourne : Council for Scientific and Industrial Research 196 pp. 75 pls