The solitary ascidian ''Herdmania momus'' is one of the most commonly encountered species of ascidians. While commonly referred to simply as ''sea squirts'', this name is ambiguous, as it can refer to any member of the sub-phylum Tunicata. This solitary ascidian is sometimes referred to as the ''red-throated ascidian'', as its two siphons are a vivid red in colour. However, most solitary ascidians that are encountered are so covered in

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

that the coloration is often not visible. When found at depth the red colourations may also not be visible, as lower frequencies of light are absorbed by the layers of water above. Like all ascidians, ''H. momus'' is a

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

filter feeder Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...

. It is commonly found attached to rocks from depths of 3–50 metres (10–160 ft).

References

External links

Wildlife of Sydney - Red-throated Ascidian

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Stolidobranchia Animals described in 1816 Taxa named by Marie Jules César Savigny {{tunicata-stub