List of tunicates of Ireland

Internal anatomy of a generalised tunicate
Polycarpa pomaria
Styela clava
Molgula oculata

There are 81 species of tunicate (subphylum Tunicata) recorded in Ireland.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Class Ascidiacea (sea squirts)

Order Aplousobranchia

Family Clavelinidae

Clavelina lepadiformis (light-bulb sea squirt) colony
  • Clavelina lepadiformis (light-bulb sea squirt)

Family Didemnidae

Didemnum vexillum colony
  • Didemnum fulgens
  • Didemnum maculosum
  • Didemnum vexillum (carpet sea squirt, an invasive species recorded in Strangford Lough in 2012)[7]
  • Diplosoma listerianum
  • Diplosoma spongiforme
  • Lissoclinum perforatum
  • Trididemnum cereum
  • Trididemnum tenerum

Family Holozoidae

  • Distaplia rosea

Family Polycitoridae

  • Archidistoma aggregatum

Family Polyclinidae

Morchellium argus (red-flake ascidian)
Polyclinum aurantium

Family Pycnoclavellidae

  • Pycnoclavella aurilucens
  • Pycnoclavella producta
  • Pycnoclavella stolonialis

Order Phlebobranchia

Family Ascidiidae

Phallusia mammillata
Ascidia mentula

Family Cionidae

Family Corellidae

Family Diazonidae

Diazona violacea

Family Perophoridae

Order Pleurogona

Family Styelidae

Dendrodoa grossularia

Order Stolidobranchia

Family Molgulidae (sea grapes)

Family Pyuridae

  • Boltenia echinata
  • Microcosmus claudicans
  • Pyura microcosmus
  • Pyura squamulosa
  • Pyura tessellata

Pelagic tunicates (free-swimming)

Class Appendicularia (larvaceans)

Order Copelata

Family Oikopleuridae

5 species

Family Fritillariidae

4 species

Class Thaliacea (pelagic tunicates)

Order Doliolida

Family Doliolidae

3 species

Order Salpida (salps)

Family Salpidae (salps)

7 species

Order Pyrosomida (pyrosomes)

Family Pyrosomatidae (pyrosomes)

1 species

References

  1. ^ "Species Browser".
  2. ^ "Tunicates: Britain / Ireland".
  3. ^ "Tunicates - Urochordata - Overview - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life.
  4. ^ "Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland".
  5. ^ Farran, G. P.; Southern, R. (1911). "Part 21. Tunicata and Hemichorda". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. Section A: Mathematical and Physical Sciences. 31: 21.1–21.4. JSTOR 20520562.
  6. ^ Thompson, William (1844). "Report on the Fauna of Ireland, Div. Invertebrata".
  7. ^ "Carpet sea squirt 'found in lough'". Belfasttelegraph.

Identification

  • Harant, H. & Vernieres P., 1933. Tuniciers I. Faune de France n° 27 101 p., 94 fig.PDF (4 Mo)
  • Harant, H. & Vernieres P., 1938 Tuniciers II. Faune de France n° 33 60 p., 64 fig. PDF (2 Mo)

External links

  • Marine species identification portal