title: List of tunicates of Ireland
text: # List of tunicates of Ireland
  
  There are 81 species of tunicate (subphylum Tunicata) recorded in Ireland.
  
  ## Class Ascidiacea (sea squirts)
  
  ### Order Aplousobranchia
  
  **Family Clavelinidae**
  
  * Clavelina lepadiformis (light-bulb sea squirt)
  
  **Family Didemnidae**
  
  * Didemnum fulgens
  * Didemnum maculosum
  * Didemnum vexillum (carpet sea squirt, an invasive species recorded in Strangford Lough in 2012)
  * Diplosoma listerianum
  * Diplosoma spongiforme
  * Lissoclinum perforatum
  * Trididemnum cereum
  * Trididemnum tenerum
  
  **Family Holozoidae**
  
  * Distaplia rosea
  
  **Family Polycitoridae**
  
  * Archidistoma aggregatum
  
  **Family Polyclinidae**
  
  * Aplidium densum
  * Aplidium elegans
  * Aplidium glabrum
  * Aplidium nordmanni
  * Aplidium pallidum
  * Aplidium proliferum
  * Aplidium punctum
  * Aplidium turbinatum
  * Morchellium argus (red-flake ascidian)
  * Polyclinum aurantium
  * Synoicum incrustatum
  * Synoicum pulmonaria
  
  **Family Pycnoclavellidae**
  
  * Pycnoclavella aurilucens
  * Pycnoclavella producta
  * Pycnoclavella stolonialis
  
  ### Order Phlebobranchia
  
  **Family Ascidiidae**
  
  * Ascidia conchilega
  * Ascidia mentula
  * Ascidia virginea
  * Ascidiella aspersa
  * Ascidiella scabra
  * Phallusia mammillata
  
  **Family Cionidae**
  
  * Ciona intestinalis (vase tunicate)
  
  **Family Corellidae**
  
  * Corella eumyota
  * Corella parallelogramma
  
  **Family Diazonidae**
  
  * Diazona violacea
  
  **Family Perophoridae**
  
  * Perophora listeri
  
  ### Order Pleurogona
  
  **Family Styelidae**
  
  * Botrylloides leachii
  * Botryllus schlosseri (star ascidian / golden star tunicate)
  * Dendrodoa grossularia
  * Distomus variolosus
  * Polycarpa fibrosa
  * Polycarpa gracilis
  * Polycarpa pomaria
  * Polycarpa scuba
  * Stolonica socialis
  * Styela clava (stalked sea squirt, club sea squirt, club tunicate, Asian tunicate, leathery sea squirt, rough sea squirt)
  * Styela coriacea
  
  ### Order Stolidobranchia
  
  **Family Molgulidae (sea grapes)**
  
  * Molgula citrina
  * Molgula complanata
  * Molgula manhattensis
  * Molgula occulta
  * Molgula oculata (sea grape)
  
  **Family Pyuridae**
  
  * Boltenia echinata
  * Microcosmus claudicans
  * Pyura microcosmus
  * Pyura squamulosa
  * Pyura tessellata
  
  Pelagic tunicates (free-swimming)
  
  ## Class Appendicularia (larvaceans)
  
  ### Order Copelata
  
  **Family Oikopleuridae**
  
  5 species
  
  **Family Fritillariidae**
  
  4 species
  
  ## Class Thaliacea (pelagic tunicates)
  
  ### Order Doliolida
  
  **Family Doliolidae**
  
  3 species
  
  ### Order Salpida (salps)
  
  **Family Salpidae (salps)**
  
  7 species
  
  ### Order Pyrosomida (pyrosomes)
  
  **Family Pyrosomatidae (pyrosomes)**
  
  1 species
  
  