Leathery Sea Squirt -

U-1870 LEATHERY SEA SQUIRT, Styela plicata

A large solitary tunicate that grows on wharf pilings and is fertile year round. Individuals are oblong; distinct siphons have four lobes. Central individuals in a clump may be elongated due to competition. Styela can tolerate greater environmental fluctuations than most ascidians. Excellent for dissection. Will vigorously expel water when handled. Size: 12-14 cm.

ANATOMY

Jon Houseman [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

ADDITIONAL READING

Growth and reproductive cycles of the marine fouling ascidians Ciona intestinalis, Styela plicata, Botrylloides violaceus, and Leptoclinum mitsukurii at Aburatsubo-Moroiso Inlet (central Japan)

Plicatamide, an Antimicrobial Octapeptide from Styela plicata Hemocytes