Name
Phallusia
sea squirt
Framing
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Tunicata
Class: Ascidiacea
Genus: Phallusia
Habitat
Aquatic, marine. Benthic, fixed to hard substrates. On stones up to 180 meters deep. In areas with sediments.
Feeding
Filter feeders.
Distribution
Localities are known for the species of this genus in the North-Western Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean and the Australian Pacific coasts.
Conservation status
There is no species of the genus listed as threatened.
Additional information
Ascidians 7-12 cm. Body wall with mamelons. In the species P. mammilata the tunic is milky white and attaches to stones on sandy or clay bottoms, while P. fumigata is black in color and appears on stone backgrounds. Sessile and solitary.
Additional information
Bibliography
- Odate, S. & Pawlik, J.R. (2007). The Role of Vanadium in the Chemical Defense of the Solitary Tunicate, Phallusia nigra . J Chem Ecol 33, 643–654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9251-z
- Groppelli, S., Pennati, R., Scarì, G., Sotgia, C. & De Bernardi, F. (2003) Observations on the settlement of phallusia mammillata larvae: Effects of different lithological substrata. Italian Journal of Zoology, 70(4), 321-326. https://doi.org/10.1080/11250000309356537