Ascidians collected by the R.V. ‘Vema’, from the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans, include eight species described as new and one new form. These are:Polycitor fungiforms, Poly‐citor crypticus, Corellopsis translucida, Adagnesia bifida, Polyandrocarpa oligocarpa, Cnemido‐carpa peruviana, Culeolusparvus, Molgula (Molguloides) sphaeroideaandCiona intestinalisformacostata.Six of the new species are from depths greater than 3000 m; the remaining two, and the new form are from shallower water. The distribution of the deep‐sea species is discussed in relation to the zoogeography of abyssal faunas.Most of the abyssal species have functional branchial stigmata and appear to be deposit feeders, but the stomach contents ofHexacrobylus indicusconfirm that this species takes in a variety of relatively large animals in addition to botto