Chordata
Stomozoa roseola
(Black Condominium Tunicate)
1. In situ (Greg McFall)
2. In situ (Greg McFall)
3. In situ (Greg McFall)
4. Out of water (Lauren Wagner)
5. Out of water (Lauren Wagner)
6. Out of water (Steve Vives)
Size
Colony height: reaching 5-10cm (2-4") Colony width: reaching 4-17cm (2-6")
Recognition Characters
Compound tunicate, which grows in upright spherical or oval masses. Zooids chambers darker than rest of tunic, often uniformly spotted with white by coloring of zooid. Zooid chambers regularly distributed around colony. Tunic is tough and cartilaginous in consistency. Zooids obvious and large.
Color
Dark purple to black. Zooids chambers are flecked with white due to contrasting white to creamy white color of zooid.
Habitat & Depth
Attach to a variety of hard bottoms including rocks and ledges. To 50m.
Distribution at GRNMS
Common. Grows on the tops of ledges.
Geographic Range
Georgia south to the Caribbean
Behavior & Notes
The specimen represented in the Gray's Reef collection is the first reported record of this species being found in the United States.
Synonyms