#4886 · 🪼 jellyfish, starfish, worms & co

Chain Tunicate

🇳🇱 Gewone slingerzakpijp ·Botrylloides violaceus

🪼 Jellyfish, starfish, worms & co 📍 in the Netherlands (introduced)

10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © Pauline Walsh Jacobson · CC BY-NC 4.0
2. © Cricket Raspet · CC BY 4.0
3. © Alex Shure · CC BY-NC 4.0
4. © Donna Pomeroy · CC BY-NC 4.0
5. © Robin Gwen Agarwal · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. © batwrangler · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
7. Zeeuwse meren, 158_13_400, NL:© Frédéric ANDRE · CC BY-NC 4.0
8. Schouwen-Duiveland, Pays-Bas:© Frédéric ANDRE · CC BY-NC 4.0
9. Zeeuwse meren, 158_13_400, NL:© Dennis Rabeling · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
10. Beveland-Nord, Pays-Bas:© Frédéric ANDRE · CC BY-NC 4.0

what is it?

Botrylloides violaceus is a colonial tunicate of the genus Botrylloides . Its native range is in the Northwest Pacific from Southern China to Japan and Siberia. Colonies attach and grow on solid surfaces and substrates, and consist of individuals arranged in twisting rows. Outside its native range, it is considered an invasive species and are becoming more common in coastal waters of North America and other waters around the world, likely being spread by shipping industries.

base stats

NL sightings 29iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 6,403iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 29 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #40 most seen of the jellyfish, starfish, worms & co in NL.
6,403 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Not originally Dutch: it was introduced to the Netherlands.