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Urochordata
Tunicates
or Sea Squirts
| Sea Squirts are filter-feeding animals that are abundant in all
oceans, attached to firm surfaces or drifting as zooplankton (salps).
They range from single animals, colonies of individuals, to compound
forms within a common tunic. Larvae possess a notochord therefore they are
related to vertebrates. They may be distinguished from sponges
because of the tough outer skin or tunic. Most are difficult to
identify beyond family or genus. |
HAWAII
Compound Tunicates
Didemnum spp.
Moku Manu, Oahu, 60 feet
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Kaupo Bay, Oahu, 5 feet |
Koko Craters, Oahu, 40 feet |
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| Found on shaded surfaces exposed to current or surge. |
Botryllus spp.
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu
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Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
Ft. Kamehemeha, Oahu |
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| Found on and under stones in shallow water including harbors.
Zooids are less than 1/2 inch. |
Eudistoma spp.
Makapu'u, Oahu, 10 feet
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Makapu'u, Oahu, 10 feet |
Makapu'u, Oahu, 10 feet
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Cargo Pier, Midway Atoll, 2 feet |
Cargo Pier, Midway Atoll, 2 feet |
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| Found in shaded areas exposed to surge, embedded with sand. |
Diazona spp.
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu
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| Found under stones in shallow water. |
Not yet identified
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
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| Various species found under stones in shallow water. |
Colonial Tunicates
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Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu
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Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
Ft. Kamehameha, Oahu, 3 feet
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Ft. Kamehameha, Oahu, 3 feet |
Moku o Loe, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, 2 feet |
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| Various species found under stones in shallow water. |
Solitary Tunicates
Herdmania momus
Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, 3 feet |
Moku o Loe, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, 2 feet |
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| Worldwide in warm seas. Abundant in harbors. Introduced to Hawaii. |
Pelagic Tunicates
Pyrosoma atlanticum
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii |
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Various species
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii |
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Cyclosalpa sp., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii |
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NORTHEAST PACIFIC
Cnemidocarpa fismarkiensis
Ogden Point, Victoria, Canada, 50 feet |
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| Found under ledges at scuba depths. Alaska to Central
California. |
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