Clavelina coerulea

Clavelina coerulea
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Tunicata
Class:	Ascidiacea
Order:	Aplousobranchia
Family:	Clavelinidae
Genus:	Clavelina
Species:	C. coerulea
Binomial name
Clavelina coerulea Oka, 1934

Clavelina coerulea, the blue ringed sea squirt, is a species of tunicates belonging to the family Clavelinidae. The species name refers to the vivid blue body coloration. Members of the class Ascidiacea including this species are hermaphroditic; both cross- and self-fertilization is typical. The eggs of this tunicate develop into lecithotrophic larva before metamorphosing into sessile benthic adults. When disturbed, these tunicates may draw up their apertures, much like a drawstring around the rim of a bag. They are filter feeders, drawing plankton in through their incurrent aperture in a continuous stream of water, using tiny hair-like cilia, and expelling waste through the excurrent aperture.

References

• WoRMS
• EoL