Rafi Amar, Israel
Info
Rhopalaea idoneta, a solitary sea squirt, grows quite large with 3 - 5cm.
It has a transparent color and consists of two siphons, one abdominal and one thoracic, in the form of large, elongated, 5 - 7 mm thick, gelatinous, smooth sacs connected by a narrow base.
The siphons have an opening marked with 5 - 7 yellowish pigment spots.
The oral siphon absorbs water and filters nutrients through the mucus lining the inner wall of the pharynx.
The cloacal siphon is smaller, excreting water and non-utilizable waste.
The ascidian has a pharynx that has two functions, nutrition and respiration, a nerve ganglion, heart, intestine, testis and ovary, in other words it is a hermaphrodite.
The tunica of the ascidian is made of tunicin, 60% cellulose, this is unique in the animal kingdom as cellulose is a plant specific compound!
Rhopalaea idoneta likes to live in the indentations, shady areas of the coral reef.
Reproduction: eggs and sperm do not mature at the same time, avoiding self-fertilization.
Fertilization occurs externally and results in a free-swimming larva.
At this stage, the larva has a tadpole-like shape, its tail forming the dorsal tendon, which corresponds to the vertebrate spine.
It is initially planktonic, but settles after 12 to 24 hours and develops on the substrate, into the adult stage within 20 days.
Etymology:
The species name "idoneta" named after the two children, Ido and Neta, of the author Noa Shenkar.
It has a transparent color and consists of two siphons, one abdominal and one thoracic, in the form of large, elongated, 5 - 7 mm thick, gelatinous, smooth sacs connected by a narrow base.
The siphons have an opening marked with 5 - 7 yellowish pigment spots.
The oral siphon absorbs water and filters nutrients through the mucus lining the inner wall of the pharynx.
The cloacal siphon is smaller, excreting water and non-utilizable waste.
The ascidian has a pharynx that has two functions, nutrition and respiration, a nerve ganglion, heart, intestine, testis and ovary, in other words it is a hermaphrodite.
The tunica of the ascidian is made of tunicin, 60% cellulose, this is unique in the animal kingdom as cellulose is a plant specific compound!
Rhopalaea idoneta likes to live in the indentations, shady areas of the coral reef.
Reproduction: eggs and sperm do not mature at the same time, avoiding self-fertilization.
Fertilization occurs externally and results in a free-swimming larva.
At this stage, the larva has a tadpole-like shape, its tail forming the dorsal tendon, which corresponds to the vertebrate spine.
It is initially planktonic, but settles after 12 to 24 hours and develops on the substrate, into the adult stage within 20 days.
Etymology:
The species name "idoneta" named after the two children, Ido and Neta, of the author Noa Shenkar.
