List of tunicates of Ireland

Internal anatomy of a generalised tunicate

Polycarpa pomaria

Styela clava

Molgula oculata

There are 81 species of tunicate (subphylum Tunicata) recorded in Ireland.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Class Ascidiacea (sea squirts)

Order Aplousobranchia

Family Clavelinidae

Clavelina lepadiformis (light-bulb sea squirt) colony

• Clavelina lepadiformis (light-bulb sea squirt)

Family Didemnidae

Didemnum vexillum colony

• Didemnum fulgens
• Didemnum maculosum
• Didemnum vexillum (carpet sea squirt, an invasive species recorded in Strangford Lough in 2012)^[7]
• Diplosoma listerianum
• Diplosoma spongiforme
• Lissoclinum perforatum
• Trididemnum cereum
• Trididemnum tenerum

Family Holozoidae

• Distaplia rosea

Family Polycitoridae

• Archidistoma aggregatum

Family Pycnoclavellidae

• Pycnoclavella aurilucens
• Pycnoclavella producta
• Pycnoclavella stolonialis

Order Enterogona

Family Ascidiidae

Phallusia mammillata

Ascidia mentula

• Ascidia conchilega
• Ascidia mentula
• Ascidia virginea
• Ascidiella aspersa
• Ascidiella scabra
• Phallusia mammillata

Family Cionidae

• Ciona intestinalis (vase tunicate)

Family Polyclinidae

Morchellium argus (red-flake ascidian)

Polyclinum aurantium

• Aplidium densum
• Aplidium elegans
• Aplidium glabrum
• Aplidium nordmanni
• Aplidium pallidum
• Aplidium proliferum
• Aplidium punctum
• Aplidium turbinatum
• Morchellium argus (red-flake ascidian)
• Polyclinum aurantium
• Synoicum incrustatum
• Synoicum pulmonaria

Order Phlebobranchia

Family Corellidae

• Corella eumyota
• Corella parallelogramma

Family Diazonidae

Diazona violacea

• Diazona violacea

Family Perophoridae

• Perophora listeri

Order Pleurogona

Family Styelidae

Dendrodoa grossularia

• Botrylloides leachii
• Botryllus schlosseri (star ascidian / golden star tunicate)
• Dendrodoa grossularia
• Distomus variolosus
• Polycarpa fibrosa
• Polycarpa gracilis
• Polycarpa pomaria
• Polycarpa scuba
• Stolonica socialis
• Styela clava (stalked sea squirt, club sea squirt, club tunicate, Asian tunicate, leathery sea squirt, rough sea squirt)
• Styela coriacea

Order Stolidobranchia

Family Molgulidae (sea grapes)

• Molgula citrina
• Molgula complanata
• Molgula manhattensis
• Molgula occulta
• Molgula oculata (sea grape)

Family Pyuridae

• Boltenia echinata
• Microcosmus claudicans
• Pyura microcosmus
• Pyura squamulosa
• Pyura tessellata

Pelagic tunicates (free-swimming)

Class Appendicularia (Larvaceans)

Order Copelata

Family Oikopleuridae

5 species

Family Fritillariidae

4 species

Class Thaliacea (pelagic tunicates)

Order Doliolida

Family Doliolidae

3 species

Order Salpida

7 species

Order Pyrosomida]]

Family Pyrosomidae

1 species

References

1. "Species Browser".
2. "Tunicates: Britain / Ireland".
3. "Tunicates - Urochordata - Overview - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life.
4. "Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland".
5. "Part 21. Tunicata and Hemichorda". JSTOR 20520562.
6. "Report on the Fauna of Ireland, Div. Invertebrata".
7. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/carpet-sea-squirt-found-in-lough-28793173.html

Identification

• Harant, H. & Vernieres P., 1933. Tuniciers I. Faune de France n° 27 101 p., 94 fig.PDF (4 Mo)
• Harant, H. & Vernieres P., 1938 Tuniciers II. Faune de France n° 33 60 p., 64 fig. PDF (2 Mo)

External links

• Marine species identification portal