''Salpa fusiformis'', sometimes known as the common salp, is the most widespread

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

salp A salp (plural salps, also known colloquially as “sea grape”) or salpa (plural salpae or salpas) is a barrel-shaped, planktic tunicate. It moves by contracting, thereby pumping water through its gelatinous body, one of the most efficient ...

. They have a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

, and can be found at depths of . They exhibit

diel vertical migration Diel vertical migration (DVM), also known as diurnal vertical migration, is a pattern of movement used by some organisms, such as copepods, living in the ocean and in lakes. The word ''diel'' comes from the Latin ''dies'' day, and means a 24-h ...

, moving closer to the surface at night. They can occur in very dense swarms, as solitary

zooid A zooid or zoöid is a single animal that is part of a colonial animal. This lifestyle has been adopted by animals from separate unrelated taxa. Zooids are multicellular; their structure is similar to that of other solitary animals. The zooi ...

s or as colonies. Solitary zooids usually measure in length. They are barrel-shaped and elongated, with a rounded front and a flat rear. Aggregate zooids are in length individually (excluding projections). They are usually barrel or spindle-shaped.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4918633 Thaliacea Animals described in 1804 Taxa named by Georges Cuvier Cosmopolitan animals