Category: Lancelets and Tunicates view all from this category

Description 6" (15 cm) high, 1" (25 mm) wide. Slender, vaselike. Pale yellow or greenish, translucent, openings ringed with yellow. Pharynx long; longitudinal muscles and digestive system visible through translucent body wall. Openings close together near tip.

Habitat On rocks, pilings, floats, and boat hulls in harbors and protected bays; from low-tide line to water 1650' (500 m) deep.

Range Alaska to s. California; Arctic to Rhode Island.

Discussion The ubiquity, abundance, size, and easy availability of this species have made it the best-studied tunicate in the world. A large Ciona pumps 4 or 5 gallons of seawater each day to filter its food, obtain oxygen, and excrete waste products.