diver 85
Contributor
what we came up with while
on Dominica..btw, it's 'facing' to the right in that pic.....tia....
Would this be considered a tunicate???.....that's
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designbysue
Contributor
By any chance did it have an opening that looked like this?
I believe that is a Giant Tunicate and from the side looked something like what you have.
I believe that is a Giant Tunicate and from the side looked something like what you have.
OP
diver 85
Contributor
I did not see any opening like that-----it was attached to that piece of soft coral & had 'eyes' in the front end(right side of picture & were closed for the pic)---also seem to sit there & 'breath'(side of it went in & out)....dun know....
designbysue
Contributor
Never saw a tunicate with eyes.
OP
diver 85
Contributor
I'm in the dark so to speak-I didn't know anything about tunicates--till this dive(over 1100 Caribbean ones, some things I just don't worry about)...One of the guys on the dive found this & saw all the 'eye thing' & 'breathing' & as I said it was over when I got there to take a picture(for him)......Thanks for your help though, it's probably just a part of the soft coral, lol.....
designbysue
Contributor
There are a number of tunicates (not that I am an expert) - I am fasinated by them because they are similar to us in that they have the beginnings of a spinal column (or something like that). Here are a few I have taken pics of:
Bulb Tunicate
White Condominium Tunicate
Mangrove Tunicate
Painted Tunicate
Maybe the "eye" was the opening??
Bulb Tunicate
White Condominium Tunicate
Mangrove Tunicate
Painted Tunicate
Maybe the "eye" was the opening??
We have species of benthic tunicates that look somewhat like the one in your picture (such as Styela montereyensis) so it is certainly a possibility. Many are gelatinous in appearance, but some are more leathery like Styela and possibly the thingie you saw.
DesignbySue... are you sure that is a tunicate? It looks more like the siphon of a bivalve.
DesignbySue... are you sure that is a tunicate? It looks more like the siphon of a bivalve.
designbysue
Contributor
As always I could be wrong, but I believe I found it as a Gianl Tunicate in the Humann books. I will try to recheck and get back to you with the page (I know I saw it somewhere!)
Sue... I have seen a few tunicates with siphons like that one, but they are more typical of bivalves at least in my experience. Will be interested in what you find (I could check Humann as well).
Sully3
Contributor
looks like the "giant tunicate"
they camoflage themselves pretty well
they camoflage themselves pretty well
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