Sea squirt

Sea squirt is also known as phylum chordata. Sea squirt is closely related to man. Below are some facts about sea squirts and a picture of sea squirts.

What relation do sea squirts have to man?

Of the invertebrates, sea squirts are most closely related to the vertebrates such as man - ourselves. This is rather shocking when one looks at the globose form of the adult red sea squirt, but the free swimming tadpole like larva sea squirt shows affinities to primitive vertebrates. The picture of the common sea squirt sponge shows the appearance of a sea squirt.

Pictures of the common sea squirt sponge. Sea squirt scientific name is phylum chordata

How a sea squirt protects itself?

Sea squirts occur as single larger individuals or as colonies. Sea squirts secrete a covering or tunic which forms a supportive and protective envelope. This is how a sea squirt protects itself. Most of the interior of the body of a sea squirt is occupied by a sac like filter basket perforated by rows of slits. Around the edges of these slits of sea squirts are tiny hairlike cilia whose whipping action draws water containing edible particles through the filter basket. Food items are trapped on mucus and transported by cilia to the stomach.

Click here to read about how a sea squirt feed and eat