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Species
Styela clava Herdman, 1881
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
The ascidean tunicate Styela clava is a fast-growing, subtidal fouling species ("fouling" in this context is a somewhat anthropocentric term used to describe marine organisms that settle and develop on submerged structures, including structures on which humans would rather they didn't settle, such as ship hulls and underwater pipes and shellfish being grown in aquaculture). It is a prolific breeder and a highly efficient suspension feeder. It is native to the northwest Pacific from the Sea of Okhotsk through southern Siberia, Japan, Korea, and northern China south to Shanghai. However, it was discovered in western North America, on the coast of California, in 1932 and is now found from Baja California (Mexico) north to Washington State (U.S.A.) and into southern British Columbia (Canada). It was found in the Atlantic, off southern England, in 1953. In the northeast Atlantic, it is now found from northern Denmark to Portugal. It is present in the northeastern United States and on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada, although it has not been detected in Arctic waters. It is widespread and well established in New Zealand. The geographic spread of this invasive species in both the northern and southern hemispheres is reviewed by Clarke and Therriault (2007) [available here], who also review its general biology and economic significance to humans. (Clarke and Therriault 2007 and references therein; Dupont et al. 2009; Goldstien et al. 2010)
The population structure of introduced populations as inferred from genetic studies, as well as the speed with which it has spread, suggest a major role for human-mediated dispersal in the spread of this species, e.g., by adults attached to the hulls (or other areas with less water flow) of commercial ships or pleasure boats or juveniles inadvertently transferred with oysters in the course of aquaculture operations (Clarke and Therriault 2007; Dupont et al. 2009; Goldstien et al. 2010).
Styla clava are oviparous (egg-laying) hermaphrodites. A mature adult is around 70 to 200 mm in length and produces about 5000 eggs, which hatch after 12 to 15 hours. The larvae, which are around 0.85 mm long, are lecithotrophic (i.e., they do not feed until after they settle to the bottom and become non-planktonic juveniles). Larvae are able to swim just a few millimetres in short bursts of activity. After approximately 12 hours, they settle on hard substrata to develop into sessile juveniles. Since S. clava eggs hatch 12 to 15 hours after spawning/fertilization, the total pelagic dispersal time for the developing egg/embryo and larva is on the order of 24 hours. (Davis and Davis 2007)
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Shapiro, Leo, Shapiro, Leo, EOL Rapid Response Team |
Source | http://eolspecies.lifedesks.org/pages/27072 |
An introduced species in the British Isles, common in Southampton harbour, Portsmouth harbour, Milford Haven, etc.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | 1995-2010, National Museums Northern Ireland and its licensors |
Source | http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=ZD1720 |
In the Northeast Pacific, Styela clava is most similar to to other styelid tunicates, including S. coriacea (Alder and Hancock, 1848), S. gibbsii (Stimpson, 1864), S. montereyensis (Dall, 1872), S. truncata Ritter, 1901, S. yakutatensis Ritter, 1901, and two other non-native species found in the region, S. canopus (Savigny, 1816) and S. plicata (Lesueur, 1823).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Frey, Melissa, Frey, Melissa, Marine Invaders of the NE Pacific |
Source | http://marineinvaders.lifedesks.org/pages/606 |
Depth range based on 190 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 5 samples.
Environmental ranges
Depth range (m): 1 - 4850
Temperature range (°C): 1.690 - 14.694
Nitrate (umol/L): 1.004 - 24.841
Salinity (PPS): 33.239 - 34.828
Oxygen (ml/l): 5.588 - 5.913
Phosphate (umol/l): 0.445 - 1.640
Silicate (umol/l): 3.108 - 65.549
Graphical representation
Depth range (m): 1 - 4850
Temperature range (°C): 1.690 - 14.694
Nitrate (umol/L): 1.004 - 24.841
Salinity (PPS): 33.239 - 34.828
Oxygen (ml/l): 5.588 - 5.913
Phosphate (umol/l): 0.445 - 1.640
Silicate (umol/l): 3.108 - 65.549
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.
License | http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Ocean Biogeographic Information System |
Source | http://www.iobis.org/mapper/?taxon_id=760366 |
Styela clava is found in shallow water on hard surfaces and occurs abundantly in sheltered warm water docks and harbour installations.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1998-2011, The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
Source | http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesinformation.php?speciesID=4398 |
In sheltered areas attached to man-made surfaces, harbour walls etc.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | 1995-2010, National Museums Northern Ireland and its licensors |
Source | http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=ZD1720 |
Oorspronkelijk leefde de knotszakpijp Styela clava enkel langs Aziatische kusten. Transport via vasthechting op oorlogsschepen bracht de soort naar Europa, waar hij voor het eerst opgemerkt werd in Engeland omstreeks 1953. In 1986 werd een eerste exemplaar gevonden aan onze kust, op een strandhoofd in Knokke-Heist. Nu is de soort gekend in de Spuikom van Oostende en in alle (jacht)havens van onze kust, behalve in Nieuwpoort. De knotszakpijp komt meestal voor langs beschutte kusten, tot op een diepte van 40 meter. De soort heeft een groot aanpassingsvermogen en kan sterke wijzigingen in temperatuur en zoutgehalte verdragen.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License |
Source | http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=103929 |
The folded sea squirt Styela clava originates from the Asian coasts. Transport through attachment on war ships brought the species to Europe, where it was first noticed in England around 1953. In 1986 the first specimen was found on the Belgian coast, on a groyne at Knokke-Heist. Now, the species is found in the Sluice dock in Ostend and all ports and marinas in Belgium, except in Nieuwpoort. The folded sea squirt is mostly found along sheltered coasts, to a depth of 40 meters. The species has a great adaptability, and can tolerate large changes in temperature and salinity.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License |
Source | http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=103929 |
The leathery sea squirt is an immigrant from Asia. It was brought to Europe via ships in the 1970s. It is a robust sea squirt erected on a narrowed stem. This sea squirt is eaten in Korea.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Ecomare |
Source | http://www.ecomare.nl/index.php?id=3843&L=2 |
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There are 32 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.
Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
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