Golden Sea Squirt
Polycarpa aurata
Also known as: Bulbous Tunicate, Colonial Ascidian, Compound Ascidian, Giant Tunicate, Goldmouth Sea Squirt, Inkspot Ascidian, Inkspot Sea Squirt, Ox Heart Ascidian, Sea Squirt, Tunicate
- Bulbous Tunicate
- Colonial Ascidian
- Compound Ascidian
- Giant Tunicate
- Goldmouth Sea Squirt
- Inkspot Ascidian
- Inkspot Sea Squirt
- Ox Heart Ascidian
- Sea Squirt
- Tunicate
Overview
Found singly or in colonies, over sheltered reef flats and slopes. Colourful on the outside and yellow on the inside.
They feed on suspended plankton.
These urn shaped ascidians have numerous and minute oral siphons.
Often confused with Didemnum robustum which has numerous bigger oral siphons.
They vary in colour from white, orange to bright green.
The green colour inside is the result of being inhabited by minute blue/green algae.
The Egyptian sea star - Gomophia egyptiaca and the Sea Snail - Gyrineum gyrinum prey upon this sea squirt.
Ascidian, also known as tunicates because their bodies are covered by a "tunic" a tough cellulose-like covering.
The other common name is sea squirt because when threatened they sometimes eject a jet of water.
How to identify
Habitat & where to find it
- Range · Indo-West Pacific
- Exact location · 2
- Country only · 16
Found singly or in colonies, over sheltered reef flats and slopes.
Adult photos 18
Discussion
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Deep dive
More in the family
Stolidobranchia




