- Is a massive gelatinous colony with a firm translucent ‘skeleton’ and smooth surface;
- Has a muscular body divided into a short thorax and an especially long abdomen;
- Is a giant jelly Ascidian;
- Ascidians (sea squirts) are filter feeders that function by pumping seawater and filtering out suspended food particles from the water column;
- Ascidians are either solitary individuals or form large colonies;
- The individuals within the colonies can organise themselves into discrete organelles, so the colony has the appearance of a solitary organism;
- They are attached to the substrate for most of their life, except for the very short-lived larval stage;
- Ascidians can reproduce sexually or asexually via budding or fragmentation during events such as storms;
- Common, on rocks and reefs throughout Australia;
- Grows to a maximum size of 20cm;
- Eats plankton or particles; and
- Found at depth ranges from 0 meters to over 30 meters.
Reference: bie.ala.org.au.
Karina Teuma 