Clavelina moluccensis
A colony of Clavelina molluccensis, showing the characteristic row of three blue dots between the siphons
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Tunicata
Class: Ascidiacea
Order: Aplousobranchia
Family: Clavelinidae
Genus: Clavelina
Species:
C. moluccensis
Binomial name
Clavelina moluccensis
(Sluiter, 1904)[1]
Synonyms

Clavelina molluccensis (Sluiter, 1904) (misspelling in literature)
Podoclavella moluccensis Sluiter, 1904

Clavelina moluccensis, common name bluebell tunicate, blue bell tunicate, or blue sea squirt [2] is a species of tunicate (sea squirt), in the genus Clavelina (the "little bottles"). Like all ascidians, these sessile animals are filter feeders.

Description

This species is 0.5-2.5 cm long, and light to medium blue in colour. The top of the zooids contain characteristic dark blue patches and spots that are always visible.[3]

Distribution

This species is found in the waters around Australia,[4] Western Pacific, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Mariana Islands,[2] Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia.[2]

Habitat

This species grows in clusters attached to dead coral[5] or other hard substrates, normally under overhangs.[2]

References

  1. ^ WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Clavelina moluccensis (Sluiter, 1904)
  2. ^ a b c d View Clavelina moluccensis
  3. ^ Allen, Gerald (2001), Marine Life of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Tuttle Publishing and Periplus (Singapore), p. 62
  4. ^ Data Use Agreement – GBIF Portal
  5. ^ Allen, Gerald, (2000), Marine Life of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Tuttle Publishing, pg. 62

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