Metandrocarpa taylori

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Orange Social Tunicate:
Orange Social Tunicate (Metandrocarpa taylori): Like all tunicates, this one is like us in that it has a notochord in the larval stage, but beyond that fun fact, it also is like strawberries in that it develops asexually via stolons. This places it in the colonial tunicates, but it really isn't colonial since it does not have a common tunic or excurrent siphon. It is a bit like Yellow social tunicate (Perophora annectens), except that that species is more transparent, lighter in color, and quite a bit smaller (Each M. taylori zooid is about half a millimeter high, as opposed to the three millimeters of the sea grapes). This species is usually orange, but can be yellowish.

These are sometimes found as fouling organisms on floating man-made structures, but they are often so common on rocks at low tide as to smother parts of them, especially in recessed areas where large rocks are piled on top of each other and there is a fair bit of current.






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