New records of the introduced solitary ascidians, Ciona robusta and Rhodosoma turcicum, have been added to the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, from Cabo Frio to Ilha Grande Bay, Brazil, in surveys conducted since 2009. Both species occurred on natural and artificial substrates, in predator-protected habitats, and regions close to harbors or other maritime activities. The distribution of Ciona robusta was related to water temperature, influenced by upwelling intensity and temperatures below 25ºC, while R. turcicum was not sensitive to the range of recorded water temperatures. The occurrence of both species on sites close to maritime terminals suggests vessels as potential vectors.
Ascidia sydneiensis Stimpson, 1855 is a solitary ascidian (Order Phlebobranchia) first described in the China Sea and Japan. Recently, it has been recorded in subtropical and tropical regions and is abundant in the Caribbean (
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.