Development of Herdmania has been described by Sebastian (1953) and Das (1957). Development is indirect involving a free swimming tadpole larva. Herdmania (a tunicate) is the most appropriate one of the best examples of retrogressive metamorphosis in which the highly developed tadpole larva undergoes retrogressive changes to become the most degenerated and sedentary adult. The phenomenon of retrogressive metamorphosis is [...]
The animal is hermaphrodite or bisexual and protogynous, i.e., ovary matures first, thus, self-fertilisation is avoided. Gonads: There are two large gonads embedded in the mantle, the left one lies in the loop of the intestine and the right one dorsal to the heart. Each gonad is about 3 × 1 cm, and consists of 10 to 25 lobes lying [...]
In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Geographical Distribution 2. Habits and Habitat 3. Affinities and Systematic Position of Herdmania. Subphylum Urochordata (Gr., uros = tail; chorde = cord) includes a peculiar group of widely distributed marine animals called sea squirts or ascidians and their allies. In most of them several chordate characters are lost in the adults, but [...]