Consider the following statements regarding Tunicates: These are inver...
Tunicates:
Tunicates, also known as sea squirts, are a group of marine invertebrates that belong to the phylum Chordata. They are found in all oceans of the world and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
Statement 1: These are invertebrate marine species which are found attached to docks and rocks.
This statement is correct. Tunicates are sessile organisms, meaning they are permanently attached to a substrate, such as docks, rocks, or other solid surfaces. They use a muscular structure called the tunic, which gives them their name, to attach themselves and protect their soft bodies.
Statement 2: They live mostly in shallow water.
This statement is also correct. While tunicates can be found in various marine environments, including deep waters, they are more commonly found in shallow water habitats such as rocky shores, coral reefs, and intertidal zones. These areas provide them with a suitable substrate for attachment and access to sunlight, which is necessary for their photosynthetic symbiotic partners.
Conclusion:
Both statements 1 and 2 are correct. Tunicates are invertebrate marine species that are commonly found attached to docks and rocks in shallow water habitats.
Consider the following statements regarding Tunicates: These are inver...
Recently, researchers described a 500-million-year-old tunicate fossil species, which suggested that the modern tunicate body plan was already established soon after the Cambrian Explosion.
- These are commonly called sea squirts which are a group of marine animals.
- They spend most of their lives attached to docks, rocks or the undersides of boats.
- About 3,000 species of tunicate exist in the world’s oceans, living mostly in shallow water.
- They are a species of marine invertebrates with an evolutionary history from atleast 500 million years ago.
- Researchers are interested in them as they are the closest relatives of vertebrates, which includes fish, mammals, and people.
- There are two main tunicate lineages namely;
- Ascidiaceans: They are often called “sea squirts and most ascidiaceans begin their lives looking like a tadpole and mobile, then metamorph into a barrel-shaped adult with two siphons. They live their adult life attached to the seafloor.
- Appendicularias: They retain the look of a tadpole as they grow to adults and swim freely in the upper waters. These seem extremely far removed from vertebrates.
- Features
- Tunicates are truly strange creatures that come in all shapes and sizes and have a wide variety of lifestyles.
- An adult tunicate’s basic shape is typically barrel-like, with two siphons projecting from its body.
- One of the siphons draws in water with food particles through suction, allowing the animal to feed using an internal basket-like filter device.
- The other siphon expels the water.
Hence both statements are correct.
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