Didemnum

Didemnum
Tunicate colonies of Didemnum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Urochordata Class: Ascidiacea Order: Aplousobranchia Family: Didemnidae Genus: Didemnum Savigny, 1816

Didemnum is a genus of tunicates in the family Didemnidae. Some varieties of didemnum can be characterized as invasive species. This is particularly an issue off the east coast of the United States, where in early 2006 didemnum were estimated to inhabit more than 175 square kilometers of this undersea region. Other areas where didemnum are seen as invasive include Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands.<"Invasion der Pfankuchen" Der Spiegel, 1/2006, p. 102/>

Species

• Didemnum albidum (Verrill, 1871)
• Didemnum amethysteum (Van Name, 1902)
• Didemnum asperum (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Didemnum biglans (Sluiter, 1906)
• Didemnum candidum Savigny, 1816
• Didemnum carnulentum Ritter and Forsyth, 1917
• Didemnum chilense Arnbaeck, 1929
• Didemnum coriaceum (Von Drasche, 1883)
• Didemnum fulgens (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Didemnum galacteum Lotufo & Dias, 2007
• Didemnum gelatinosum
• Didemnum helgolandicum
• Didemnum lahillei Hartmeyer, 1909
• Didemnum maculosum (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Didemnum santaelenae Van Name, 1945
• Didemnum studeri Hartmeyer, 1911
• Didemnum tenue (Herdman, 1886)
• Didemnum vanderhorsti Van Name, 1924

Tunicate colonies of Didemnum sp. overgrowing the fronds of dark green algae. These colonies can quickly overgrow most surfaces and other organisms.

References

• Woods Hole
• (USGS) National Geologic Studies of Benthic Habitats, Northeastern United States has a Marine Nuisance Species page dedicated to this genus

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