Notes on Ecology, Distribution, and Systematics of 
Pelagic Tunicata from New Zealand 
B. M. Bary 1 
The Copelata and Cyclomyaria appear to 
be the only groups among pelagic tunicates to 
have been directly reported on for New Zealand, 
the former by Garstang and Georgeson (1935) 
and the latter by Garstang (1933). These re- 
ports resulted from collections of the "Terra 
Nova” Expedition. Thompson ( 1948) in a com- 
prehensive treatise on "Pelagic Tunicates of 
Australia” refers only occasionally to New Zea- 
land species. 
Samples were collected from H.M.N.Z.S. 
"Lachlan” (Bary, 1956) to the south and east 
of New Zealand. Oikopleura fusiformis was cap- 
tured mainly from cooler oceanic waters and is 
a new record for New Zealand. 0 . dioica oc- 
curred infrequently in warm coastal waters. 
Gonozooids and phorozooids of Doliolum (Do- 
lioletta ) valdiviae were obtained, and the "old 
nurse” stage is believed to have been identified. 
The remaining two orders, Pyrosomida and Des- 
momyaria, were also represented. Pyrosoma at - 
lanticum was very abundant, especially in March 
and April, and P. spinosum was collected once 
as an incomplete colony. Both are apparently 
new records for New Zealand, and, in the case 
of P. spinosum , for Australia and the South 
Pacific as well (Metcalf and Hopkins, 1919; 
Thompson, 1948; Sewell, 1953). Of the five 
species of Salpidae ( O. Desmomyaria ) collected 
lasts zonaria was rare; Thalia democratic a was 
present at a few stations, but in very large num- 
bers; one specimen of Pegea confoederata was 
captured; Salpa fusiformis f. asp era was com- 
mon, and Ihlea magalhanica was very common. 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
These have been detailed elsewhere (Bary, 
1956, and 1959^ 1959$). Briefly, collections 
1 N. Z. Defence Scientific Corps, c/ o Navy Office, 
Wellington, N. Z. Now at Institute of Oceanography, 
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 
Manuscript received April 8, 1958. 
were made in near and offshore waters to the 
east and south of South Island, New Zealand 
(January to March, 1951) and southward to 
Auckland and Campbell islands (November, 
1951) from H.M.N.Z.S. "Lachlan,” a naval 
frigate on surveying duties. Tows, made pre- 
dominantly in the surface layer (there were a 
few oblique tows), were of 3 minutes’ duration 
at IV 2 to 2 kt. with a net of 50 cm. diameter 
constructed with graded silks. Procedure was 
standardised and some quantitative analyses 
have been made. Surface temperatures were 
taken and salinities were determined for many 
of the plankton stations, and at other locations 
as well. 
Temperature-Salinity-Plankton diagrams are 
again utilised (Bary, 195 9^; 1959$) and they 
assist with the interpretation of the origins and 
distribution of species. 
Previous Records from New Zealand 
Four species of Copelata and four species of 
Cyclomyaria have been reported from the Terra 
Nova collections, made in the vicinity of Three 
Kings Islands, northern New Zealand. These 
are: Oikopleura longicauda Vogt, O, rufescens 
Fol, O. dioica Fol, St ego soma conogaster Gar- 
stang and Georgeson, Doliolum denticulatum 
Quoy and Gaimard, Dolioletta gegenbauri Ul- 
janin, Doliolina mulleri Krohn, and Dolioletta 
mirabilis ( Korotneff ) . 
Other species were collected by "Terra Nova” 
to the south of New Zealand. It is possible that 
these may extend northwards towards southern 
New Zealand either in subantarctic water or 
the deep Antarctic Intermediate water whence 
upwelling might bring them to the surface. 
These species and the regions from which they 
were collected are: Oikopleura valdiviae , from 
64°-72° S., common; Folia gigas, Antarctic, 
rare; Pelagopleura magna, Antarctic (71° S.), 
rare; and Doliolina intermedium var. resistible 
Neumann, Antarctic, rare. Thompson (1948) 
101 
