Sea Vase
Ciona intestinalis
Summary 3
Ciona intestinalis (vase tunicate) is a urochordata (sea squirt), a tunicate with very soft tunic, globally distributed cosmopolitan species. Since Linnaeus described the species, Ciona intestinalis has been used as a model invertebrate chordate in developmental biology and genomics. However, recent studies have shown that there are at least two, possibly four, sister species By anthropogenic means, the species has invaded various parts of the world and is known as an invasive species.
Description 4
This species is a simple, solitary ascidian, with a thin outer covering or tunic. Overall shape is cylindrical, similar to a vase. The body measures 4-15 cm in length, and attaches to the substrate at its base. The oral and atrial siphons are positioned close together at the anterior end of the body. Overall, the tunic is smooth and translucent, lacking any pigment flecks. A diagnostic red spot at the end of the sperm duct is visible through the tunic.
Distribution 5
Ciona intestinalis has been introduced in the Northeast Pacific, with records ranging from Washington to Mexico. This species also has been collected from other locations around the world, including parts of South Africa, southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and South America. In the Atlantic, the species is cryptogenic, with a geographical range that includes northeast United States, Canada, and Greenland, and stretches across northern Europe, Great Britain, and the Mediterranean. Its native geographical range likely includes northern Europe, but remains unclear (Therriault and Herborg 2008, Zhan et al. 2010).
In Lake Merritt 6
This sea squirt is fairly common on rocks, docks, and other hard substrates in the lake. In the water it looks like a beautiful translucent vase, but out of the water it just looks like a squishy gray blob (like most marine inverts).
Sources and Credits
- (c) Brent Wilson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/59048895@N06/5415099894/
- (c) Eric Burgers, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/uw-eric/11030573583/
- Adapted by Ken-ichi Ueda from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciona_intestinalis
- (c) Frey, Melissa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/11481292
- (c) Frey, Melissa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/11481294
- (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Category | Sea Squirts |
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