Biodiversity of the Central Coast
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Tunicates

Tunicates, also called sea squirts or ascidian, belong to the subphylum Tunicata (also called Urochordata). These are soft-bodied animals that may be solitary, social (colonial clusters connected by tubes called stolons), or compound (colonial individuals embedded in a common outer covering). In all cases the animals are attached to a solid substrate, and have an incurrent siphon (opening for water to enter the body) and an excurrent siphon (for the filtered water to leave the body). The excurrent siphon may be shared in colonial species. Click here for more information.
Monterey stalked tunicate (Styela montereyensis)

Monterey stalked tunicate
​
(Styela montereyensis)

Shiny orange sea squirt (Cnemidocarpa finmarkiensis)

Shiny orange sea squirt (Cnemidocarpa finmarkiensis)

Sea grapes (Perophora annectens)

Sea grapes
(Perophora annectens)

Fused orange social ascidians (Metandrocarpa dura)

Fused orange social ascidians
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(Metandrocarpa dura)

Speckled compound tunicate (Trididemnum alexi)

Speckled compound tunicate
​
(Trididemnum alexi)

Lightbulb tunicate (Clavelina huntsmani)

Lightbulb tunicate (Clavelina huntsmani)

Red ascidian (Aplidium solidum)

Red ascidian
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(Aplidium solidum)

Pacific white crust (Didemnum carnulentum)

Pacific white crust (Didemnum carnulentum)

Twin-sailed salp (Thetys vagina)

Twin-sailed salp
(Thetys vagina)

Pyrosome (Pyrosoma atlanticum)

Pyrosome
​
(Pyrosoma atlanticum)

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