Keywords: usgs ecosystems biology invasive species invasivespecies invasive underwater animals water texture coral depth of field organic pattern pattern animal bright surreal No, this isn't a pig snout you're waking up to. Sea squirts (known to be invasive) are tunicates, sea life with a primitive spinal cord and a firm, flexible outer covering called a "tunic," from which the name derives. These siphon-feeding animals form dense mats, made of many thousands of individuals, encrusting and smothering hard sea bottom and organisms attached to it. Photo credit: Caroline Rogers, USGS No, this isn't a pig snout you're waking up to. Sea squirts (known to be invasive) are tunicates, sea life with a primitive spinal cord and a firm, flexible outer covering called a "tunic," from which the name derives. These siphon-feeding animals form dense mats, made of many thousands of individuals, encrusting and smothering hard sea bottom and organisms attached to it. Photo credit: Caroline Rogers, USGS |