Two of the coolest things in my tank

[fastrd400]

James, glad you posted this. I have the same thing. It is growing inside my Frogspawn, around the base of each arm. I thought it was a sponge of some sort. After seeing your photo I took a much closer look at it, and it is the same exact thing. Freakin awesome.

 

[littleyea1]

I have them too in between my zoos

 

[Bifferwine]

Actually, they are the most basic vertebrates. In their adult form you can't see the defining characteristics of vertebrates, but in their free swimming larval form they posses all of them. Also they are the only animal to secrete cellulose like a plant, but they use it as an outer coating rather than as a cell wall.

Actually, they aren't vertebrates at all. They are, however, the invertebrates most closely related to vertebrates. Tunicates are in the phylum Chordata, which includes the vertebrates and another invertebrate called a lancelet, but tunicates themselves are not vertebrates. They do possess a notochord, which in vertebrates, turns into the vertebral column, but in tunicates and lancelets, the notochord never develops into a vertebral column, hence they are not classified as vertebrates and instead have their own classification in the Subphyla Urochordata and Cephalochordata (vertebrates are in the Subphyla Craniata).

 

[little_fish]

Actually, they aren't vertebrates at all. They are, however, the invertebrates most closely related to vertebrates. Tunicates are in the phylum Chordata, which includes the vertebrates and another invertebrate called a lancelet, but tunicates themselves are not vertebrates. They do possess a notochord, which in vertebrates, turns into the vertebral column, but in tunicates and lancelets, the notochord never develops into a vertebral column, hence they are not classified as vertebrates and instead have their own classification in the Subphyla Urochordata and Cephalochordata (vertebrates are in the Subphyla Craniata).

And this is why biology drives me crazy, it all depends on what book you consult, what expert you ask and how everyone views this. But this isn't nearly as bad as the microbiology world, now that is a big mess of little critters. But your classification makes more sense.

 

[Bifferwine]

Hehehe. Taxonomy classes were some of my favorite!

CHORDATA = Urochordata (tunicates), Craniata (vertebrates) and Cephalochordata (lancelets).

Tunicates are like "sisters" to vertebrates. It doesn't matter which expert or book you consult -- that is their official classification and that is correct no matter where you look.

 

[EliWhitney314]

That is awesome. I think I have some tunicates growing in my tank too.

 

[little_fish]

Hehehe. Taxonomy classes were some of my favorite!

I am very impressed that you remember and like that stuff, I only know because I took a test on it a month ago. Im more of "how things work" kinda girl. Names and directions are not my thing : )

 

[Bifferwine]

I am very impressed that you remember and like that stuff

I wouldn't be so impressed if I were you. All it does is make me look like a giant dork. :Cheers:

 

[little_fish]

I hold dorks and nerds in high esteem, i am one of them, i go to school with four thousand of them.

Anyways, "cool" people are really boring me thinks . . .

 

[CDaubs]

"they are about the size of a half of a dollar bill"

So is that like a 50c bill???? Arrrr Arrrr Arrrr