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Home » Taxon Pages » Animalia » Chordata » Ascidiacea » Stolidobranchia » Styelidae » Botrylloides » Botrylloides violaceus Oka, 1927 -
Taxon Pages
Botrylloides violaceus Oka, 1927
Nomenclature
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Unranked: StyelidaeGenus: Botrylloides
Species:
Botrylloides violaceus Oka, 1927
Vernacular names:
Vernacular name:
Violet tunicate
Vernacular name:
Lined compound ascidian
SUMMARY
This species is a compound, colonial ascidian, with small, bean-shaped zooids embedded in a common matrix or tunic. The colony grows to form encrusting patches that typically reach 3-4 mm in thickness and 2-30 cm in diameter. Individual zooids are positioned vertically relative to the substrate, and are organized into elongated, meandering systems, each measuring 0.5-1 cm in width. Each zooid grows approximately 3 mm in length. Zooids are characterized by 16 branchial tentacles located on the inside of the oral siphon, and a pharynx with 10-11 rows of stigmata. Each colony is a solid color, either cream, yellow, orange, rose, purple, or brown.