Cyclosalpa bakeri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cyclosalpa bakeri | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Tunicata |
| Class: | Thaliacea |
| Order: | Salpida |
| Family: | Salpidae |
| Genus: | Cyclosalpa |
| Species: | C. bakeri |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyclosalpa bakeri | |
Cyclosalpa bakeri is a salp, a marine tunicate in the class Thaliacea. It is found floating in the open sea in the Indo-Pacific region.
Like other salps, Cyclosalpa bakeri has two different phases. In one of these forms, individuals live a solitary life. They are cylindrical, transparent, gelatinous animals with a rather flabby test, growing to about 15 cm (6ins) long. There are openings at the anterior and posterior ends of the cylinder which can be opened or closed as needed. The bodies have seven transverse bands of muscle interspersed by white, translucent patches. A stolon grows from near the endostyle (an elongated glandular structure producing mucus for trapping food particles). The stolon is a ribbon-like organ on which a batch of aggregate forms of the animal are produced by budding. The aggregate is the second, colonial form of the salp and is also gelatinous, transparent and flabby. It takes the shape of a radial whorl of individuals up to about 20 cm (4 in) in diameter. It is formed of approximately 12 zooids linked side by side in a shape that resembles a crown.[2][3]