Lollipop Tunicate

Tunicates, or Sea Squirts, resemble sponges but are actually very complicated animals related to fish. Their adult form lives attached to hard substrate and filters the water for food, mainly bacterioplankton. A well established aquarium with a sand substrate will help to generate appropriate food. Additions of phytoplankton and occasional stirring of the sand, as well as minimal or no protein skimming, may help. We recommend Tunicates only be attempted by expert aquarists who can meet their demanding needs.

This unique tunicate is typically robin's egg blue. It has a stem with many polyp-like zooids at the end. It may occasionally cover itself with a clear film in order to clean itself; this may take up to a few weeks to be shed.