List of tunicates of Ireland
# List of tunicates of Ireland

There are 81 species of tunicate (subphylum Tunicata) recorded in Ireland.

## Class Ascidiacea (sea squirts)

### Order Aplousobranchia

**Family Clavelinidae**

* Clavelina lepadiformis (light-bulb sea squirt)

**Family Didemnidae**

* Didemnum fulgens
* Didemnum maculosum
* Didemnum vexillum (carpet sea squirt, an invasive species recorded in Strangford Lough in 2012)
* Diplosoma listerianum
* Diplosoma spongiforme
* Lissoclinum perforatum
* Trididemnum cereum
* Trididemnum tenerum

**Family Holozoidae**

* Distaplia rosea

**Family Polycitoridae**

* Archidistoma aggregatum

**Family Polyclinidae**

* Aplidium densum
* Aplidium elegans
* Aplidium glabrum
* Aplidium nordmanni
* Aplidium pallidum
* Aplidium proliferum
* Aplidium punctum
* Aplidium turbinatum
* Morchellium argus (red-flake ascidian)
* Polyclinum aurantium
* Synoicum incrustatum
* Synoicum pulmonaria

**Family Pycnoclavellidae**

* Pycnoclavella aurilucens
* Pycnoclavella producta
* Pycnoclavella stolonialis

### Order Phlebobranchia

**Family Ascidiidae**

* Ascidia conchilega
* Ascidia mentula
* Ascidia virginea
* Ascidiella aspersa
* Ascidiella scabra
* Phallusia mammillata

**Family Cionidae**

* Ciona intestinalis (vase tunicate)

**Family Corellidae**

* Corella eumyota
* Corella parallelogramma

**Family Diazonidae**

* Diazona violacea

**Family Perophoridae**

* Perophora listeri

### Order Pleurogona

**Family Styelidae**

* Botrylloides leachii
* Botryllus schlosseri (star ascidian / golden star tunicate)
* Dendrodoa grossularia
* Distomus variolosus
* Polycarpa fibrosa
* Polycarpa gracilis
* Polycarpa pomaria
* Polycarpa scuba
* Stolonica socialis
* Styela clava (stalked sea squirt, club sea squirt, club tunicate, Asian tunicate, leathery sea squirt, rough sea squirt)
* Styela coriacea

### Order Stolidobranchia

**Family Molgulidae (sea grapes)**

* Molgula citrina
* Molgula complanata
* Molgula manhattensis
* Molgula occulta
* Molgula oculata (sea grape)

**Family Pyuridae**

* Boltenia echinata
* Microcosmus claudicans
* Pyura microcosmus
* Pyura squamulosa
* Pyura tessellata

Pelagic tunicates (free-swimming)

## Class Appendicularia (larvaceans)

### Order Copelata

**Family Oikopleuridae**

5 species

**Family Fritillariidae**

4 species

## Class Thaliacea (pelagic tunicates)

### Order Doliolida

**Family Doliolidae**

3 species

### Order Salpida (salps)

**Family Salpidae (salps)**

7 species

### Order Pyrosomida (pyrosomes)

**Family Pyrosomatidae (pyrosomes)**

1 species

