Compléments sur la diversité des ascidies (Ascidiacea, Tunicata) de l'ouest Pacifique tropical

Numerous ascidians were sampled along the coasts of several regions in the tropical western Pacific, some of them in marine lakes. This study is a part of a large collection program initiated by the Coral Reef Research Foundation (CRRF) under contract to the US National Cancer Institute. It is a complement to the works that we published in 1996 and 2001. Among 59 species cited here, 20 are new species. The dominance of colonial forms in tropical areas is confirmed. Ascidians of marine lakes, with a variable salinity, are difficult to identify, their anatomical and physiological characters might be modified by the physico-chemical factors of these lakes, and not correspond to particular species.