Aplousobranchia | |
---|---|
Didemnum | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Subphylum: | Tunicata |
Class: | Ascidiacea |
Order: | Aplousobranchia Lahille, 1887 |
Families | |
Synonyms | |
Krikobranchiae |
Aplousobranchia is an order of sea squirts in the class Ascidiacea, first described by Fernando Lahille in 1886.[1][2] They are colonial animals, and are distinguished from other sea squirts by the presence of relatively simple pharyngeal baskets. This provides the etymology of their name: in ancient greek, ἁ.πλοος-ους (ha.ploos-ous) means "simple". The posterior part of the abdomen contains the heart and gonads, and is typically larger than in other sea squirts.