| Pyura spinifera | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Tunicata |
| Class: | Ascidiacea |
| Order: | Stolidobranchia |
| Family: | Pyuridae |
| Genus: | Pyura |
| Species: | P. spinifera
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pyura spinifera (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834)
| |
Pyura spinifera, commonly called the sea tulip, is a species of sessile ascidian that lives in coastal waters at depths of up to 80 m (260 feet). As with almost all other ascidians, sea tulips are filter feeders. The common name comes from the organism's appearance - that of a knobbly 'bulb' or flower attached to a long stalk. Sea tulips come in a variety of colours, including white, pink, yellow, orange, and purple. The coloration of sea tulips depends upon their association with a symbiotic sponge that covers their surface.