What am I?

I may look like a very cool and colourful rock but I’m not. I’m a very specialized colony of animals that are more closely related to hagfish and other invertebrates.

I am a sea squirt or more specifically a colonial compound tunicate. A tunicate is a marine invertebrate animal, a member of the subphylum Tunicata, which is part of the Chordata, a phylum which includes all animals with dorsal nerve cords.

Some tunicates live as solitary individuals, but others replicate by budding and become colonies, each unit being known as a zooid. They are marine filter feeders with a water-filled adult tunicates are sessile, and are permanently attached to rocks or other hard surfaces on the ocean floor.

These particular tunicates are Mushroom Tunicates, Distaplia occidentalis and they live in the temperate waters of the Pacific Northwest. These unique flower-like clusters can be found in varying depth up to about 30 meters and are wonderful to photography due to their bright colouration. These tunicates can be stark white, orange, red and even sapphire blue.

These animals are an integral part of the ecosystem due to their ability to filter the water as it flows by. Living mostly in high current areas diving to find these creatures can be difficult and its important to always be cautious, check the tides and currents before you dive.

Thanks for reading.

Scott

For more images and stories - http://www.scottstevensonphotography.ca/