Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas, 1766)
(Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesBotryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)
FamilySTYELIDAE (a family of sea squirts)
OrderSTOLIDOBRANCHIA (a suborder of sea squirts)
ClassASCIDIACEA (ascidians, sea-squirts)
SubphylumTUNICATA (ascidians, sea-squirts, tunicates)
PhylumCHORDATA (vertebrates)
SuperphylumDEUTEROSTOMIA (deuterostomes)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt) :
1: Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)
21 Jan 2011 OSGR: SY67 50° 40’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
colony on underside of rock at low tide
Image 1: Colony - close-up - enlarged
2: Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)
25 Mar 2009 OSGR: SY67 50° 40’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
blue form - in rockpool, on underside of loose rock
Image 1: Close-upImage 2: Close-up (2)Image 3: Close-up (3)Image 4: Close-up - enlargedImage 5: Close-up - enlarged (2)Image 6: Close-up - enlarged (3)Image 7: Close-up - enlarged (4)Image 8: Close-up - enlarged (5)
3: Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)
24 Mar 2009 OSGR: SY67 50° 40’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
orange form - in rockpool, on underside of loose rock
Image 1: ColonyImage 2: Close-up - enlargedImage 3: Close-up - enlarged (2)Image 4: Close-up - enlarged (3)
4: Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)
16 May 2008 OSGR: NS24 55° 40’ N, 4° 50’ W Vice County: Ayrshire (VC 75) England
on rock
Image 1: Colony - close-upImage 2: Colony - close-up (2)Image 3: Colony - close-up - enlargedImage 4: Colony - close-up - enlarged (2)Image 5: Colony - close-up - enlarged (3)
5: Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)
6 May 2008 OSGR: SY67 50° 40’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
yellow form - on vertical faces of old concrete blocks beside Botryloides leachi, exposed at low tide
Image 1: Colony - close-up - enlargedImage 2: Colony - close-up - enlarged (2)Image 3: Colony - close-up - enlarged (3)

Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 3 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Botryllus schlosseri (Star Ascidian, Star Sea Squirt)
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