Styela montereyensis

Styela montereyensis
Styela montereyensis in a California tide pool
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Tunicata
Class: Ascidiacea
Order: Stolidobranchia
Family: Styelidae
Genus: Styela
Species:
S. montereyensis
Binomial name
Styela montereyensis
(Dall, 1872)
Synonyms

Clavelinopsis rubra Fewkes, 1889
Cynthia montereyensis Dall, 1872
Styela rubra (Fewkes, 1889)
Tethyum montereyense (Dall, 1872)
Tethyum montereyensis

Styela montereyensis, also called the stalked tunicate, Monterey stalked tunicate, and the long-stalked sea squirt is a solitary ascidian tunicate. It has a cylindrical, yellow to dark reddish-brown body and a thin trunk that anchors it to rocks. It is found in subtidal areas of the western coast of North America from Vancouver Island to Baja California.