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Botryllus schlosseri

Star sea squirt

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Botryllus schlosseri

Concarneau Bay, France, 9 meters, 2011, WBN

Botryllus schlosseri

Pointe de Trévignon, France, 8 meters, 2011, WBN

Botryllus schlosseri

Pointe de Trévignon, France, 8 meters, 2011, WBN

Botryllus schlosseri

Bay of Lannion, France, 10 meters, 2011, WBN

Botryllus schlosseri

Camaret, France, 9 meters, 2011, WBN

Description

Botryllus schlosseri is a colonial ascidian forming encrusting flattened colonies of 4 to 5 cm in diameter. The zooids are gathered in systems of 3 to 12 individuals around a common atrial siphon. These systems look like stars dispatched through the colony within a common test.The siphons do not protude but form numerous little holes opening and closing according to the colony activity. The star tunicate has various colours: yellow, blue, brown-yellowish, green, mauve, reddish. The colour of the zooid is distinct from the colour of the common test. Colonies encrusted rocks, seaweeds and even other ascidians.

Distribution

Botryllus schlosseri is found from low level water to 10 meters deep in the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea.

Classification

Source : World Register of Marine Species
Dernière mise à jour 25-12-2024

Glossaire de la page

Zooid : individual, single animal.

Test : or tunic: thick layer secreted by the mantel containing cellulose and protecting the animal.

Atrial siphon : opening through which water is expelled.

Authors

Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2024.

Photos : © Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography

Image satellite: © Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community.

Données de distribution : Botryllus schlosseri in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-25.

Guide des Tuniciers

Classification

Source : World Register of Marine Species


Dernière mise à jour 25-12-2024

Guide des Tuniciers

Page glossary

Zooid : individual, single animal.

Test : or tunic: thick layer secreted by the mantel containing cellulose and protecting the animal.

Atrial siphon : opening through which water is expelled.

Authors

Text : Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2005 - 2024.

Photos : © Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with his kind permission.
Websites and reference works : Consult bibliography

How to cite this page

Bay-Nouailhat A., January 2005, Description of Botryllus schlosseri, [On line] https://european-marine-life.org/32/botryllus-schlosseri.php, consulted on 2024 December 25.

Author

Photographie de Anne Bay-Nouailhat

Anne Bay-Nouailhat

Project manager in marine environment
Professional diver - Naturalist

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