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Where do sessile tunicates live in the ocean?
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tunicate
Blue spot sea squirt (Clavelina moluccensis), a colonial tunicate.
Sessile tunicates, which are primarily represented by the class Ascidiacea, are benthic animals that live attached to solid surfaces. They are found in ocean waters ranging from polar regions to the tropics.123
These organisms typically grow on a variety of hard substrates, including:
- Wharf piles3
- Ship hulls3
- Rocks3
- The shells of various sea creatures3
During their life cycle, the motile larva searches for an appropriate location to settle. Once it finds a suitable surface, it attaches itself using adhesive papillae and undergoes metamorphosis into its final, sessile adult form.4