Boltenia echinata
Species of sea squirt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boltenia echinata, commonly known as the cactus sea squirt,[1] is a species of tunicate, a marine invertebrate in the genus Boltenia of the family Pyuridae. It is native to the Arctic Ocean and the northern Atlantic Ocean.
| Boltenia echinata | |
|---|---|
| |
| "1" individual from above (top left) "2" individual from side (upper centre) "3" individual dissected (lower centre) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Tunicata |
| Class: | Ascidiacea |
| Order: | Stolidobranchia |
| Family: | Pyuridae |
| Genus: | Boltenia |
| Species: | B. echinata |
| Binomial name | |
| Boltenia echinata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
Boltenia echinata is a solitary sea squirt with a globose or ovoid body up to 2 cm (0.8 in) in diameter. The two small siphons are four-lobed and are near the top of the animal. The base is attached to the substrate over a large area. The test is tough and rubbery and bears radially-branching spines, which resemble hairs. The body colour is brown and the siphons may be tinged red, but the sea squirt is very inconspicuous because it is usually covered with silt.[2][3]