Holozoidae

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Family: Holozoidae

Group: Marine Invertebrate, Species

Scientific NameCommon NameSummary
Distaplia occidentalisMushroom compound tunicateA pretty colonial tunicate. According to Lambert & Sanamyan 2001, its color varies from lavender to dark purple, and is sometimes yellow, orange, or tan. One species to keep an eye out for is Distaplia alaskensis, described from Prince William Sound in 2001. Where a colony of D. occidentalis is shaped like a mushroom, a typical colony of D. alaskensis is shaped like a cone. On a microscopic level, D. occidentalis has fewer than 20 stigmata per half-row, whereas D. alaskensis has more than 20 stigmata per half-row [of pharyngeal wall] (again, from Lambert & Sanamyan 2001). This species is also reported to form encrusting colonies. It does not become encrusted with sand.
Distaplia smithiStalked Compound TunicateThis species is a strange compound ascidian with colonies arranged along the surfaces of little paddles, sometimes branching, whose colors range from cream-yellow to brown. It is reported to be restricted to the open coast, in higher energy locales, by Lamb Hanby 2005, and also by Kozloff 1996.