Urochordata, also known as tunicates or sea squirts, are a subphylum of chordates that have a notochord only during their larval stage. They are filter feeders that live in aquatic or marine environments and have a u-shaped gut. Most urochordates are hermaphrodites and can reproduce both sexually and asexually through budding. They lack a brain and have a simple nervous system consisting of a nerve cord.

1. Chordata Urochordata By Sam Cleary Period 2 5/19/09-5/20/09 Bluebell Tunicate Clavelina puertosecensis

2. Classification Class Appendicularia-Floats freely Class Ascidiacea-Attached Ascidiacea Class Thiliacea

3. Parts Of Urochordata pharyngeal slits and arches dorsal hollow nerve cord notochord post-anal muscular (unsegmented) tail. sessile filter feeders with an expanded pharynx larval lampreys

4. Reproduction Most Urochordates are hermaphrodites, meaning the have both sperm and egg. Some can reproduce asexually by budding

5. Feeding and Digestion Suspension feeders They use Mucus nets to trap plankton. The mucus catches food particles and is digested by the Dorsal Lamina and moved to the stomach.

6. Circulatory System Consists of a ventral heart Open circulatory system, so blood flows all around the entire body (no veins)

7. Respiratory System Through respiratory Tube Out Gills Water Flows in Mouth

8. Living environment Lives in an aquatic or marine environment .

9. Interactions with Us Very good in research value Some demand for food items or as pets in aquariums

10. Unique Features Has a “U” Shaped gut Filter Feeders More than two cell layers, tissues, and organs Body covered in secreted protein

11. Other Information Also called Tunicates Commonly known as “Sea Squirts” Referred to evolutionarily important group of animals Nearly 2000 species discovered

13. Information Bibliography Urochordata. May 19 2009. http://courses.washington.edu/emb2002/animals/urochordata.pdf Phylum Chordata . May 19 2009. http ://www.biol.wwu.edu/donovan/biol46 M. E. Haffey. Hemichordates and Chordates. May 20 2009. http://faculty.vassar.edu/mehaffey/academic/animalstructure/outlines/chordata.html S. Raylman. Phylum Chordata. May 20 2009. http://www.as.wvu.edu/~sraylman/comparative/lectures/2uro,ceph,craniata.pdf Lewbart, Gregory. Invertabrates Medicines. Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Ramel, Gordon. The Sea Squirts. May 21 2009. http://earthlife.net/inverts/urochordata.html

14. Image Bibliography http://www.aboututila.com/Reviews/Charlie-Johnson/Photos/Bluebell-Tunicates.jpg http://tolweb.org/Chordata/2499 http://www.usm.maine.edu/bio/courses/bio205/Urochordate%20tree.jpg