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''Pyura chilensis,'' called in Spanish, is a tunicate of the family Pyuridae. It was described in 1782 by Juan Ignacio Molina.


Taxonomy

The earliest mention of the ''P. chilensis'' was in 1782 by Juan Ignacio Molina in his book . Molina, a Chilean abbot who was shunned from Chile along with the rest of the
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
missionaries, wrote this book to describe the life lived by the Chileans in the Chiloe Archipelago. He briefly describes the natives' fondness of fishing and mentions the as another form of sustenance for the people.


Description

''Pyura chilensis'' is a tunicate that somewhat resembles a mass of organs inside a rock. It is often found in dense aggregations in the intertidal and subtidal coast of Chile and Peru. It is a
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 ...
that eats by sucking in seawater and filtering out microorganisms. ''Pyura chilensis'' has some basic characteristics common to chordates, such as the
notochord In anatomy, the notochord is a flexible rod which is similar in structure to the stiffer cartilage. If a species has a notochord at any stage of its life cycle (along with 4 other features), it is, by definition, a chordate. The notochord consis ...
and a perforated pharynx. It is born male, becomes hermaphroditic at puberty, and reproduces by tossing clouds of sperm and eggs into the surrounding water. If it is alone, it will procreate by self-fertilization. Its blood is clear and can contain high concentrations of
vanadium Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery-grey, malleable transition metal. The elemental metal is rarely found in nature, but once isolated artificially, the formation of an oxide layer ( pas ...
, which may be ten million times that found in surrounding seawater, although the source and function of this element's concentrations are unknown.


Fishery

On the Chilean coast, banks of ''P. chilensis'' are heavily fished. The animal is also one of the main food sources for other local aquatic species such as the Chilean abalone (''Concholepas concholepas''), whose proliferation has threatened ''P. chilensis'' and severely restricted its growth for more than two decades. Many locals don wet suits and goggles to gather the delicacy, mostly in rocky areas close to shore, but occasionally farther out to sea. Fishermen typically cut ''P. chilensis'' into slices with a handsaw, then use their fingers to pull out the
siphons A siphon (from grc, σίφων, síphōn, "pipe, tube", also spelled nonetymologically syphon) is any of a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. In a narrower sense, the word refers particularly to a tube in a ...
(which they refer to as ''tetas'', or "tits") from the carapace, which is discarded. The flesh is usually sold in strips, but may be canned. It is exported to numerous countries, including, as of 2007, Sweden (32.5% of exports) and Japan (24.2%).


Cuisine

The meat, which has a strong flavor, can be eaten raw or cooked. Its taste has been described as like that of
iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...
or "something like a
sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) of ...
though less delicate in flavor" and a "slightly
bitter Bitter may refer to: Common uses * Resentment, negative emotion or attitude, similar to being jaded, cynical or otherwise negatively affected by experience * Bitter (taste), one of the five basic tastes Books * '' Bitter (novel)'', a 2022 nove ...
, soapy taste". It is usually cut into small pieces, and flavored with chopped onion, cilantro, and lemon. Minced and boiled, it serves as an element of many dishes, particularly , or " rice with minced piure". It can also be fried and eaten on
bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
. A similar edible tunicate in the Mediterranean is '' Microcosmus sabatieri'', also called a sea violet or sea fig. There are concerns about the safety of eating ''P. chilensis'', given its high concentration of
vanadium Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery-grey, malleable transition metal. The elemental metal is rarely found in nature, but once isolated artificially, the formation of an oxide layer ( pas ...
, with up to 1.9 mg/kg found in dry blood plasma. Vanadium is a heavy metal, considered toxic at any more than incidental levels. The average diet provides trace amounts of vanadium; typically 6–18 micrograms (µg). According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, vanadium can cause liver damage in high doses of 1.8 mg or more daily. No in-depth studies could be found at time of writing to determine the amount of vanadium contained within the blood or tissue of ''P. chilensis'', nor in typical dishes containing its flesh.


Effects on human reproduction

On Chiloé Island of Chile, women who consumed increased amounts of during pregnancy were purported to have had greater incidency of multiple births. However, the veracity of such claims, in light of mechanisms of human reproduction, remain dubious. It is said to possess aphrodisiac properties and to have a significant viagra-like effect on men for a period of time after consumption.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2741354 Stolidobranchia Animals described in 1782 Animal-based seafood Chilean cuisine Vanadium