zoologia

http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v11n1a/pt/abstract?inventory+bn0391101a2011 http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br
Biota Neotrop., vol. 11(Supl.1)
Checklist das ascídias (Tunicata, Ascidiacea) do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil
Rosana Moreira da Rocha1,4, Gustavo Muniz Dias2 & Tito Monteiro da Cruz Lotufo3
1Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná – UFPR,
CP 19020, CEP 81531-980, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
2Instituto Três Rios, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro – UFRRJ,
Rua 14 de Dezembro, n. 271, Centro, CEP 25802-210, Três Rios, RJ, Brasil
3Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará – UFC,
Av. Abolição, n. 3207, CEP 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil
4Autor para correspondência: Rosana Moreira da Rocha, e-mail: [e-mail]
ROCHA, R.M., DIAS, G.M. & LOTUFO, T.M.C. Checklist of ascidians (Tunicata, Ascidiacea) from São
Paulo State, Brazil. Biota Neotrop. 11(1a): http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v11n1a/en/abstract?inventory+ bn0391101a2011. Abstract: Ascidians are marine organisms that, for the most part, are found adhered to hard substrates from coastal to abyssal regions. Despite being chordates, their body plan is very modified to suit their life-style. In Brazil, ascidians are best studied in the State of São Paulo, both in terms of biodiversity and ecology. In that state, coastal waters of the municipality of São Sebastião are particularly well studied because the Marine Biology Research station of the University of São Paulo established there has attracted researchers since the 1960s. Knowledge of ascidians has been increasing continuously during the last 50 years, and today, 66 species are recorded from the state of São Paulo. Nonetheless, there are still important areas that need study, such as the extreme north and south in that state, where the ascidians have almost never been sampled, especially on the many coastal islands.
Also, deeper regions of the continental shelf and slope are also poorly