Tunicates
ASCIDIANS Ascidians are not invertebrates, but actually belong to the back-boned animals as we humans. They are more known under the name sea squirts or tunicates. There are 2300 different species of ascidians. Some live solitary, while others prefer to form colonies. Each individual member of one of these colonies is called a zooid. They are sac-like marine animals which are found in the shallow waters of all seas and oceans. Members of the Thaliacea (salp) and Larvacea swim freely in open water while all the other tunicates are not able to transfer themselves and are well attached to substrate such as rocks, dead coral and shells. The sac-like body is protected by a kind of cellulose material. Some tunicate species are transparent while others can have a more leathery look with wrinkles and warts. All sea squirts have two or more openings with a different dimension. The largest called oral siphon. The smaller opening(s) or atrial siphon is positioned more on the side of the animal, but often very close to the oral siphon. Tunicates feed by sucking in water via the oral siphon. The water flows through the mouth via the mucus-covered gills who filter plankton out of the water. Then it flows through a water chamber between the stomach and the outer skin, and leaves the animal via the smaller atrial siphon. When looking to one of the transparent tunicate specimen, you can see how the whole feeding system works.
Ascidians info.

Ascidians info.

Clavelina  arafurensis - Clavelinidae

Clavelina arafurensis - Clavelinidae

Clavelina moluccensis - Clavelinidae

Clavelina moluccensis - Clavelinidae

Clavelina cyclus - Clavelinidae

Clavelina cyclus - Clavelinidae

Clavelina robusta - Clavelinidae

Clavelina robusta - Clavelinidae

Clavelina viola - Clavelinidae

Clavelina viola - Clavelinidae

Clavelina  flava - Clavelinidae

Clavelina flava - Clavelinidae

Clavelina detorta - Clavelinidae

Clavelina detorta - Clavelinidae

Clavelina breve - Clavelinidae

Clavelina breve - Clavelinidae

Clavelina sp.1 - Clavelinidae

Clavelina sp.1 - Clavelinidae

Clavelina sp.2 - Clavelinidae

Clavelina sp.2 - Clavelinidae

Clavelina sp.3 - Clavelinidae

Clavelina sp.3 - Clavelinidae

Nephtheis fascicularis- Clavelinidae

Nephtheis fascicularis- Clavelinidae

Sigillina signifera - Holozoidae

Sigillina signifera - Holozoidae

Perophora modificata - Perophoridae

Perophora modificata - Perophoridae

Ecteinascidia bandaensis - Perophoridae

Ecteinascidia bandaensis - Perophoridae

Rhopalaea fusca - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea fusca - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea  circula - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea circula - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea  crassa - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea crassa - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea sp. - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea sp. - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea sp.1 - Diazonidae

Rhopalaea sp.1 - Diazonidae

Diazona formosa - Diazonidae

Diazona formosa - Diazonidae

Diazona tenera - Diazonidae

Diazona tenera - Diazonidae

Polycarpa aurata - Styelidae

Polycarpa aurata - Styelidae

Polycarpa captiosa - Styelidae

Polycarpa captiosa - Styelidae

Eusynstyela latericius - Styelidae

Eusynstyela latericius - Styelidae

Botrylloides leachii - Styelidae

Botrylloides leachii - Styelidae

Botrylloides leachii_2

Botrylloides leachii_2

Botryllus sp. - Styelidae

Botryllus sp. - Styelidae

Phalussia julinea - Ascidiidae

Phalussia julinea - Ascidiidae

Phallusia philippinensis - Ascidiidae

Phallusia philippinensis - Ascidiidae

Ascidia ornata - Ascidiidae

Ascidia ornata - Ascidiidae

Herdmania momus - Pyuridae

Herdmania momus - Pyuridae

Atriolum robustum - Didemnidae

Atriolum robustum - Didemnidae

Didemnum molle - Didemnidae

Didemnum molle - Didemnidae

Didemnum membranaceum - Didemnidae

Didemnum membranaceum - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.2 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.2 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.3 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.3 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.4 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.4 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.5 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.5 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.6 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.6 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.7 - Didemnidae

Didemnum sp.7 - Didemnidae

Leptoclinides  reticulatus - Didemnidae

Leptoclinides reticulatus - Didemnidae

Lissoclinum patella - Didemnidae

Lissoclinum patella - Didemnidae

Trididemnum cyclops - Didemnidae

Trididemnum cyclops - Didemnidae

Exostoma ianthinum - Polycitoridae

Exostoma ianthinum - Polycitoridae

Eudistoma reginum - Polycitoridae

Eudistoma reginum - Polycitoridae

Eudistoma sp.1 - Polycitoridae

Eudistoma sp.1 - Polycitoridae

Polycitorella sp. - Polycitoridae

Polycitorella sp. - Polycitoridae

Aplidium sp.1 - Polyclinidae

Aplidium sp.1 - Polyclinidae

Pyrosoma atlanticum- Pyrosomidae

Pyrosoma atlanticum- Pyrosomidae

Thalia  democratia - Salpidae

Thalia democratia - Salpidae

Cyclosalpa affinis - Salpidae

Cyclosalpa affinis - Salpidae