Mottled Encrusting Tunicate

Distaplia bermudensis

Mottled Encrusting Tunicate

A colonial sea squirt that forms mottled encrusting patches on pilings, reef flats and cays, it even settles on the shell of a living crab. Its many zooids share a common jelly and filter plankton side by side.

Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Ascidiacea › Aplousobranchia › Holozoidae › Distaplia

Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 103604.

FAQ

How deep does the Mottled Encrusting Tunicate live?
The Mottled Encrusting Tunicate (Distaplia bermudensis) is typically found at 0–20 m.
How big does the Mottled Encrusting Tunicate get?
The Mottled Encrusting Tunicate grows to about 0.2 cm.