The Rough Sea Tunicate – Styela canopus is a solitary tunicate commonly found in coastal marine environments. It is a filter feeder, consuming a variety of organisms, including fish eggs, plankton, and other microscopic particles.
Description & Characteristics
The Rough Sea Tunicate – Styela canopus is characterized by its rough, leathery exterior, typically ranging in size from a few centimeters to several inches in length. The tunic, the outer covering of the animal, is often covered in small bumps or projections, giving it its distinctive rough texture. The body is elongated and somewhat cylindrical, with two siphons located at opposite ends. The inhalant siphon, located at the top, draws in water containing food particles. The exhalant siphon, located at the bottom, expels filtered water.
Habitat and Occurrence
The Rough Sea Tunicate – Styela canopus is a widespread species, inhabiting a variety of marine environments, including intertidal zones, rocky shores, and docks. It can be found in depths ranging from the low tide mark to several meters below the surface. Its preference for these habitats suggests its ability to tolerate both shallow and deeper waters, suggesting it may be found in a variety of marine zones, including the neritic zone. The neritic zone is a shallow water environment, ranging from the shoreline to the edge of the continental shelf, where it can be found on various substrates, including rocks, piers, and even the hulls of ships.
Taxonomy
The Rough Sea Tunicate – Styela canopus belongs to the Class: Ascidiacea, Order: Stolidobranchia, and Family: Styelidae. Ascidiacea is a class within the subphylum Tunicata, comprising a diverse group of filter-feeding marine invertebrates. The Order Stolidobranchia includes a variety of solitary tunicates, characterized by their rigid bodies and simple internal structures. The Family Styelidae, to which Styela canopus belongs, encompasses several species of solitary tunicates, characterized by their often-roughened exteriors and their ability to colonize diverse substrates.
Feeding
The Rough Sea Tunicate – Styela canopus is a suspension feeder, relying on a filtering mechanism to obtain food. It draws in water containing food particles through its inhalant siphon, which is lined with cilia, microscopic hair-like structures. The cilia create a current that directs the water and its contents into the animal’s body. As water passes through the internal pharyngeal basket, food particles are trapped by a mucus layer, ultimately transported to the gut for digestion. The Rough Sea Tunicate – Styela canopus feeds primarily on microscopic organisms such as plankton, as well as fish eggs and other small particles present in the water column.
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