Pyura spinifera

Pyura spinifera, commonly called the sea tulip, is a species of sessile ascidian that lives in coastal waters at depths of up to 80 m (260 feet). As with almost all other ascidians, sea tulips are filter feeders. The common name comes from the organism's appearance - that of a knobbly 'bulb' or flower attached to a long stalk. Sea tulips come in a variety of colours, including white, pink, yellow, orange, and purple. The coloration of sea tulips depends upon their association with a symbiotic sponge that covers their surface.

Sea tulip
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Subphylum:
Class:
Order:
Suborder:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
P. spinifera
Binomial name
Pyura spinifera
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1834)

References


    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.