page_title: Botryllus schlosseri
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Botryllus schlosseri / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Tunicate colonies of Didemnum sp. (left) and Botryllus schlosseri (right) overgrowing individuals of the tunicate Styela clava. Ouddorp Inlage, Grevelingen. Water depth approximately 8 m. April 7, 2000. Observer: Arjan Gittenberger (NMNH). Photo credit: Arjan Gittenberger. Map Location no. 32. Français&#160;: Colonies de tuniciers&#160;: Didemnum sp. (à gauche) et Botryllus schlosseri (à droite) croissant de manière envahissante sur des individus tuniciers Styela clava|Styela clava&#160;; à Ouddorp Inlage, Grevelingen, à environ 8 m de profondeur le 7 avril 2000. Observateur: Arjan Gittenberger (NMNH). Crédit photo: Arjan Gittenberger. Carte Localisation no. 32
context_page_description: Botryllus schlosseri is a colonial ascidian tunicate. It is commonly known as the star tunicate, but it also has several other common names, including star ascidian and golden star tunicate. Colonies grow on slow-moving, submerged objects, plants, and animals in nearshore saltwater environments.
context_section_description: Individual zooids may grow to 3 millimetres (0.12 in) in size, with colonies reaching 50 millimetres (2.0 in) long .
  This species can be distinguished from Botrylloides sp. by the pattern of zooid growth. B. schlosseri zooids emanate from a center in the manner of the arms of a star. Also, there usually are fewer zooids per cluster (5–8 in B. schlosseri and 10 or more in Botrylloides). There are many colors in which this species can be found, ranging from orange, blue and grey. A colony can be easily be separated from the main body to form an independent colony usually referred to as a subclone. Two colonies may also fuse together if they share common alleles for historecognition.
caption: Tunicate colonies of Didemnum (left) and Botryllus schlosseri (right) overgrowing individuals of the tunicate Styela clava
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