Aplidium benhami (Brewin, 1946) (Figure 6d) Aplidium (Amaroucium) benhami Brewin, 1946: 95–97, fig. 4, pl. 2, figs 1, 4, pl. 3, fig. 3, pl. 5, fig. 1. Amaroucium benhami Brewin, 1956: 122; 1958a: 439; 1960: 119. Material examined New records. NEW ZEALAND, Bluff Harbour, Tiwai Point (46°35.52 ʹ S, 168°21.14 ʹ E, wharf pile, coll. M. Page, 9 m, 20 August 2007, NIWA68101); Tiwai Point (46°35.51 ʹ S, 168° 21.15 ʹ E), wharf pile, coll. L. Peacock, 6 m, 10 February 2011, NIWA84207. Previously recorded. New Zealand, South Island; Portobello Peninsula (Brewin 1946); Chatham Islands (Brewin 1956); Stewart Island (Brewin 1958a); Cook Strait (Brewin 1960); Fiordland (Page et al. 2014). Description Colonies of Aplidium benhami collected off wharf piles in Bluff Harbour are relatively large, compared to specimens sampled from natural substrata in more exposed environments. They are bright orange (5YR12), cushion-shaped, firm gelatinous colonies measuring up to 100 mm in greatest diameter. The branchial apertures of the zooids are pigmented white, standing out against bright orange thoraces, and a lightly pigmented orange test (Figure 6d). Unlike the small colonies from other regions, the zooids are arranged in parallel rather than stellate systems, and common cloacal apertures are not obvious. The zooids are stout, measuring 7 mm total length, with a thorax and abdomen of approximately equal length and a post-abdomen 3 mm long. The branchial aperture has low indistinct lobes, and the small atrial aperture is surmounted by 3 short atrial lappets. Three embryos are sequentially developed in the atrial brood pouch. The larval characters are as described in Page et al. (2014). Also noted in the present specimen is the orange pigmentation of the branchial sac. Remarks The Tiwai Point A. benhami colonies closely resemble the Otago Harbour holotype in colour and zooid morphology (Brewin 1946). Furthermore, larval characters are the same for this species as described from Fiordland (Page et al. 2014).

{"references": ["Brewin BI. 1946. Ascidians in the vicinity of the Portobello Marine Biological Station, Otago Harbour. Trans Proc N Z Inst. 76: 87 - 131.", "Brewin BI. 1956. Ascidians from the Chatham Islands and the Chatham Rise. Trans Proc Roy Soc N Z. 84: 121 - 137.", "Brewin BI. 1958 a. Ascidians of New Zealand. Part XI. Ascidians of the Stewart Island region. Trans Roy Soc N Z. 85: 439 - 453.", "Brewin BI. 1960. Ascidians of New Zealand. Part XIII. Ascidians of the Cook Strait region. Trans Proc Roy Soc N Z. 88: 119 - 120.", "Page M, Willis T, Handley S. 2014. The colonial ascidian fauna of Fiordland, New Zealand with a description of two new species. J Nat Hist. 48: 1653 - 1688."]}

Published as part of Page, M. J., 2018, Colonial ascidians from the Foveaux Strait region of New Zealand, pp. 1157-1180 in Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) (J. Nat. Hist.) 52 (17 - 20) on pages 1171-1172, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1450903, http://zenodo.org/record/5174607