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How does it look like?
It forms smooth and fleshy colonies that reach 5 centimeters in height and 5cm in diameter. It has an opaque foot. On the end of it are irregularly arranged isolated individuals (zooids) that are not easy to distinguish, partly because they are translucent. They are surrounded by a common translucent mantle that is not calcified. The whole is orange to red in color, but the zooids may also be yellowish.
Where does it live?
It lives on stones, rocks, algae, sponges, shells, etc. and in the coralligenous domain. It is found in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, English Channel and North Sea.
How does it feed?
It feeds on organic matter in suspension: algae, detritus, plankton, inorganic matter, etc. Tunicates create a current of water that they filter, since the food remains stuck in a mucus that they secrete. This mucus goes to the digestive tract.
Is a confusion possible?
It can be confused with Aplidium nordmanni which differs mainly by forming flat encrusting colonies without a foot. It can also be easily confused with Morchelium argus, although the latter has 4 red dots around the oral siphon, while Aplidium proliferum has only 3.
Curiosities
· There is some debate among the scientific community about the validity of this species, which some authors consider a synonym of Aplidium nordmanni or Pseudodistoma cyrnusense.
Taxonomy
Phylum: Chordata, Subphylum: Tunicata, Class: Ascidiacea, Order: Enterogona, Suborder: Aplousobranchiata, Family: Policlinidae, Genus: Aplidium |
