Larvaceans and salps gallery

These two groups bring together pelagic tunicates. Larvaceans resemble the tadpole larva of ascidians. Thaliaceans (salps) have a cylindrical and transparent body and are solitary and colonial. Tunicates are marine animals. Some live fixed, others swim in open water and some are solitary and others form colonies. Their body is surrounded by a more or less cartilaginous tunic (from the Latin tunica = tunic). Their tadpole larvae have a central axis or chord in the tail, an outline of the spine, axis which they generally lose in the adult stage.