Ecteinascidia bandaensis is a species of tunicate commonly referred to as an ascidian. These marine invertebrates are filter feeders and play an important role in the marine ecosystem.
Description & Characteristics
Ecteinascidia bandaensis is a solitary ascidian that typically grows to a maximum size of a few centimeters. Its body is sac-like and has two siphons: an incurrent siphon through which it takes in water and an excurrent siphon through which it expels water after filtering out food. The body of the ascidian is covered in a tough, leathery tunic, which is composed of cellulose.
Habitat and Occurrence
Ecteinascidia bandaensis prefers to inhabit coralline soils and rocky, hard seabeds, often found in coral quarries. It is a common inhabitant of the Intertidal (Eulittoral) zone, the intertidal zone between the high and low tide lines characterized by the alternation of low and high tides. This makes Ecteinascidia bandaensis a frequent sight in these dynamic coastal ecosystems.
Taxonomy
The species Ecteinascidia bandaensis is classified within the phylum Chordata, which includes all animals with a notochord at some point in their development. It is further classified within the subphylum Tunicata, which are marine filter feeders. Ecteinascidia bandaensis belongs to the Class: Ascidiacea, which includes all sea squirts, the Order: Phlebobranchia, an order within the Class Ascidiacea, and the Family: Perophoridae, a family within the Order Phlebobranchia.
Feeding
Ecteinascidia bandaensis is a filter feeder, meaning it obtains its food by straining particles from the water. It uses mucus to trap plankton and other microscopic organisms that it then ingests. This feeding method makes Ecteinascidia bandaensis a crucial component of the marine food web.
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