A new species of the genus Botryllus (Ascidiacea) from the Red Sea

A new ascidian species was discovered during a study of the ecology of ascidians off the Red Sea coast of Israel. This species has been provisionally assigned to the genus Botryllus as complete details of its life cycle are not available to confirm Botrylloides as a junior synonym. The species displays characteristics of Botryllinae, in which growth is associated with active replication of zooids. The species is distinguished by the opaque pale pigmentation of the colonies, the zooid arrangement in regular double rows converging to common cloacal openings at the top of low lobes, the large number of stigmata rows, and ovary lateral to the testes. We name the new species Botryllus eilatensis, after the collecting site, the coral reef of Eilat.