Size: 2” long; 1 5/8” wide

Defining Physical Characteristics: Prominent siphons, usually muddy tunic.

Habitat: Rocks, pilings, boat hulls, algae in bays and estuaries. these tunicates tolerate a wide range of salinity.

Range: Atlantic Coast.

Personal Observations: When disturbed these tiny animals will actually squirt water at you. During certain years you may see a few, but during others, such as the summer/fall of 2001, they were ubiquitous. When looking at them under magnification, you can see the action of the siphons creating a current which brings zooplankton into one siphon and waste out the other. If kept in a filtered tank, the tunicates become white and translucent. They are really quite beautiful.