The Sea Squirt – Aplidium breviventer is a colonial tunicate species found in various marine environments. These fascinating creatures are sessile, meaning they attach themselves to solid surfaces and remain in one place throughout their adult lives. They are characterized by their distinctive, often colorful colonies and their unique filter-feeding mechanism.
Description & Characteristics
The colonies of Aplidium breviventer can vary in size and shape, but they typically form encrusting mats or irregular clumps on rocks, shells, and other substrates. The individual zooids (individual animals within the colony) are small, measuring only a few millimeters in length. Each zooid possesses a siphonal opening for water intake and another for water expulsion, allowing them to filter feed effectively.
Habitat and Occurrence
The Sea Squirt – Aplidium breviventer is found in a wide range of marine environments, particularly in the intertidal zone and shallow subtidal regions. These species prefer rocky substrates and can often be found on docks, piers, and ship hulls. They are commonly observed in temperate and subtropical waters, with a typical depth range of 0 to 50 meters.
Taxonomy
The Sea Squirt – Aplidium breviventer belongs to the Class Ascidiacea, which encompasses a diverse group of filter-feeding marine invertebrates. Within this class, Aplidium breviventer is classified under the Order Aplousobranchia, characterized by their simple gill structure and their ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually. Finally, the species belongs to the Family Polyclinidae, a family that encompasses colonial ascidians with a shared common tunic.
Feeding
The Sea Squirt – Aplidium breviventer is a filter feeder, meaning it obtains food by filtering microscopic organisms from the water column. The zooids within the colony use their siphons to draw in water, where cilia (tiny hair-like structures) trap plankton, bacteria, and other organic matter. The filtered water is then expelled through the exhalant siphon, leaving behind the captured food particles.
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