Phlebobranchia is an order of sea squirts in the class Ascidiacea,[1] first described by Fernando Lahille in 1886.[2]

Phlebobranchia
Ascidia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Tunicata
Class: Ascidiacea
Order: Phlebobranchia
Lahille, 1886
Families
Synonyms
  • Dictyobranchiae

Characteristics

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Ascidia incrassata, "Red spotted sea squirt".

The group includes both colonial and solitary animals. They are distinguished from other sea squirts by the presence of longitudinal vessels in the pharyngeal basket. This provides the etymology of their name: in ancient greek, φλέψς, φλεβός means "blood vessel". Another characteristic of phlebobranchians is the gonads being surrounded by a loop of gut. The posterior part of the abdomen is absent, and many species also lack the epicardial cavity that surrounds the heart and other internal organs in many other sea squirts.[3]

Taxonomy

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References

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  1. ^ Gittenberger, A.; Sanamyan, K. (2015). Phlebobranchia. In: Shenkar, N.; Gittenberger, A.; Lambert, G.; Rius, M.; Moreira Da Rocha, R.; Swalla, B.J.; Turon, X. (2015) Ascidiacea World Database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-12-23
  2. ^ Lahille, F. (1886). Sur le classification des Tuniciers. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris. 16: 1573-1575
  3. ^ Barnes, Robert D. (1982). Invertebrate Zoology. Philadelphia, PA: Holt-Saunders International. p. 1042. ISBN 0-03-056747-5.