(Stokkøya - Sør-Trøndelag / 12 meters / 10.08.2007)

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Tunicata

Class: Ascidiacea

Order: Stolidobranchia

Family: Styelidae

Scientific name: Botryllus leachi

 

Norwegian: kolonisekkedyr

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Distribution: Botryllus leachi, also known as Botrylloides leachi. encrusts stones and shells and can even be found on large algae. It occurs most frequent on depths from just below the tidal zone to 20-30. meters. It can be found along the entire Norwegian coast, as far north as the western parts of Finnmark.

Characteristics: In contrast to B. schlosseri, the animals (zooids) do not organize themselves in star shaped structures, but rather in chains, often two chains in parallel. Individual zooids are twice as long as wide and 1.5 - 3 mm long. The color varies greatly - brown, red, orange, yellow and grey variants are common.

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