Apr 7, 2023
A school of squirts β π¦
Most of us are familiar with tunicates, also known as sea squirts, in the intertidal zone, but only a few people have seen one like this! These tunicates, Culeolus barryi, named for MBARI biologist Jim Barry, live on the deep seafloor waiting for food to drift by.Β
Their unusual appearance actually helps the animals feed. The body's hydrodynamic shape and buoyancy keep this stalked tunicate elevated off the bottom and extended into the currents. The large branchial sac faces the current to allow the animal to filter organic particulates, and detritus stirred up from the sediments.
