Botrylloides

Taxobox

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Botrylloides leachi"
name = Botrylloides
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Urochordata
classis = Ascidiacea
ordo = Pleurogona
suborder = Stolidobranchia
familia = Botryllidae
genus = Botrylloides sp.
genus_authority = (Milne-Edwards, 1841)Cite web|url=http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Botryllidae|title=Botryllidae-Wikispecies|accessdate=2007-02-17] The "Chain Sea Squirts or Chain Tunicates" of the genus "Botrylloides":

Morphologically similar to "Botryllus schlosseri" and similarly widespread, "Botrylloides" is distinguished by having linearly-arranged, parallel "chains" of as opposed to zooids like white or yellow stripes emanating from a common center in "Botrylloides".Cite web|url=http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/Botrylloidesleachi.htm|title=MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network|accessdate=2007-02-17|publisher=The Marine Biological Association|author=Owen Alger]

Both form flat sheets of organisms covering ropes, boat hulls, horseshoe crabs, seaweeds, and basically any still or slow-moving object in saltwater.

Both are relative newcomers to most of the world's harbors, being thought to have appeared within the last 100 years in most harbors and are now found in ports in every ocean worldwide.

Invasive tunicates such as these, "Didemnum sp.", and "Styela clava" are a problem for shellfish and other marine life populations, and cause fouling of boats and piers.

pecies include

*"Botrylloides leachi"
*"Botrylloides violaceus"
*"Botrylloides simodensis"

Notes

External links

* http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/bis/tunicata.php?menuentry=soorten&id=20
* http://www.exoticsguide.org/species_pages/b_violaceus.html