Biodiversity & Conservation

A colonial sea squirt - Morchellium argus - General information

Morchellium argus

Image Steve Trewhella - Morchellium argus close-up. Image width ca XX m.
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Distribution map

Morchellium argus recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Why do the maps differ?

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Morchellium argus is not listed under any importance categories.

General information

Key Icon Researched by: Dr Keith Hiscock Text page icon Refereed by: This information is not refereed.

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy

Phylum Chordata Sea squirts, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals
Class Ascidiacea Sea squirts
Map icon Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland Recorded from all around the coasts of Britain and Ireland except parts of the eastern coast of England and parts of the eastern and southern coasts of Ireland. Few records from Shetland.
Habitat information icon Habitat information Present on the shore mainly on vertical surfaces, under overhangs and in caves. In the sublittoral, often conspicuous amongst foliose algae in the lower infralittoral especially in wave sheltered areas.
Text page icon Description Clumps of pink or red lobes each about 4 cm long and consisting of many zooids. Distinguished from other polyclinids especially by the sand coating on the column.

This review can be cited as follows:

Dr Keith Hiscock 2006. Morchellium argus. A colonial sea squirt. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 22/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=3829>