Sea Squirts (Ascidians) – How Is Red Bait Related to Humans? скачать в хорошем качестве

Sea Squirts (Ascidians) – How Is Red Bait Related to Humans?

Episode 46: Sea Squirts (Ascidians) They look like sponges. They don’t move. They squirt water when poked. But don’t let their blob-like appearance fool you — ascidians, also known as sea squirts or redbait, are surprisingly advanced animals with a very unexpected backstory. Come along as we journey into the lowest reaches of the intertidal zone to discover the three types of sea squirts you can find clinging to rocks, between the holdfasts of kelp, or hiding in tidepools. These bizarre marine creatures are actually chordates, meaning they’re more closely related to humans than many other invertebrates! While their adult forms are sedentary, filter-feeding blobs, their larvae are free-swimming tadpoles with tails, brains, and even a primitive spinal cord. See why they’re called 'sea squirts', what makes their circulatory system one-of-a-kind, and how they form bright, jelly-like colonies that mimic daisies and come in neon oranges, blues, and whites. This episode uncovers the strange beauty and complexity of one of the ocean’s most overlooked phyla. 📍 Filmed along the intertidal shores of the Western Cape, South Africa Chapter Markers: 00:00 – Where to find sea squirts? 00:30 – What are sea squits? 01:11 – Spinal cords, tails, and brains 02:05 – Adult life: filter-feeding & unique circulatory systems 03:20 – Are sea squirts edible? 03:47 – Different species of sea squirts 04:40 – Transparent tunicates 05:05 – Daisy-like clonal ascidians 06:32 – How sea squirts reproduce and spread 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and share to support the channel and help others discover these fascinating marine creatures. 📲 Instagram:   / explore_theshore   #SeaSquirts #Ascidians #MarineBiology #Tidepools #OceanLife #Chordates #Tunicates #IntertidalExploration