Chordata
Aplidium stellatum
(Sea Pork)
1. In situ (Greg McFall)
2. In situ (Danny Gleason)
3. In situ-large colonly (Danny Gleason)
4. Out of water (Lauren Wagner)
5. Out of water (Lauren Wagner)
6. Out of water - image shows sections of tunicate removed from large colony (Rob Ruzicka)
Size
Colony height: reaching 10-15cm (4-6") colony width: 15-20cm (6-8")
Recognition Characters
Grows in large, rounded colonies. Chambers for zooids are visible.
Color
Typically has red zooids inside pink tunic. Sometimes can be semi-transparent white or light blue.
Habitat & Depth
Typically grow on reefs, sometimes in shallow water on rocky jetties. To 50m.
Distribution at GRNMS
Abundant.
Geographic Range
Gulf of Maine to Gulf of Mexico
Behavior & Notes
Commonly found washed ashore on beach. Bleaches after death. Known as "Sea Pork."
Synonyms
Meinkoth 1981, Kaplan 1988, Ruppert and Fox 1988