Clavelina lepadiformis
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Ascidiacea
Order: Aplousobranchia
Family: Clavelinidae
Genus: Clavelina
Species: C. lepadiformis
IG-NHM-C2-6
Description
This is a colonial sea squirt, although each individual is only attached together by a fine
stolon, a root-like extension running between the base of each animal. The body is
transparent and does not exceed a length of 4 cm. A fine white or cream-colored line
runs along the body and forms a ring at the top. Eggs and larvae are vary in colour and
are visible in the atrial cavity. It possess a white ring around the pharynx, and have pale
yellow or white longitudinal lines along the endostyle and dorsal lamina, which gives
this species its ‘light-bulb’ appearance. It sits on hard substrate on depths from the
subtidal zone and down to a maximum depth of 50 meters. The light bulb sea squirts start
to grow in late winter and are ready for reproduction in the summer. During a few hours
they release a large number of larvae. These attach to the bottom and forms small buds
which are the basis for next year’s colony. During the fall the sea squirts disintegrate.
This sea squirt is known from the Atlantic coasts of Europe, as far north as Norway, and
from the Mediterranean, including the Adriatic Sea.
Reference
http://www.eol.org/pages/512656/overview
http://www.seawater.no/fauna/chordata/lepadiformis.html