''Molgula manhattensis'', commonly known as "sea grapes", is a species of

ascidian Ascidiacea, commonly known as the ascidians or sea squirts, is a paraphyletic class in the subphylum Tunicata of sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders. Ascidians are characterized by a tough outer test or "tunic" made of the polysaccharid ...

commonly found along the East Coast and

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Tex ...

region of the United States. Although it is native to this region, it has been introduced to other areas of Europe, Australia, and the West Coast.

Description

''Molgula manhattensis'' is small, spherical, brownish-grey in color, somewhat translucent, and feels soft and rubbery to the touch. Like other ascidians, they have two siphons (incurrent and excurrent), through which they draw water for

ventilation Ventilation may refer to: * Ventilation (physiology), the movement of air between the environment and the lungs via inhalation and exhalation ** Mechanical ventilation, in medicine, using artificial methods to assist breathing *** Respirator, a ma ...

and

filter-feeding Filter feeders are aquatic animals that acquire nutrients by feeding on organic matters, food particles or smaller organisms (bacteria, microalgae and zooplanktons) suspended in water, typically by having the water pass over or through a specia ...

, and also for releasing their

gamete A gamete ( ) is a Ploidy#Haploid and monoploid, haploid cell that fuses with another haploid cell during fertilization in organisms that Sexual reproduction, reproduce sexually. Gametes are an organism's reproductive cells, also referred to as s ...

s. They are hermaphroditic, and release sperm and eggs into the water for external fertilization, unlike some other species of ''Molgula'' which may be

viviparous In animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, with the maternal circulation providing for the metabolic needs of the embryo's development, until the mother gives birth to a fully or partially developed juve ...

(e.g. '' M. citrina''). The

tunic A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...

is covered with many little fibrils.

Habitat

''Molgula manhattensis'' can live from the

intertidal zone The intertidal zone or foreshore is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range. This area can include several types of habitats with various ...

to a depth of 300 feet. They can attach to solid organisms or even rocks, pilings, buoys, or sand. The sea squirts can also live in a temperature range of about 50 °F to about 80 °F. They can live in water with a

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt (chemistry), salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensio ...

of 33.270 to 36.231 PSS, with oxygen concentrations between 3.960 and 6.328 mL/L.

History

''Mogula manhattensis'' is native to the East Coast of the United States and to waters around Europe. It is also found on the West Coast of the United States and to parts of Asia. Adults can live off of almost anything making them very good survivors in bodies of water though they prefer protected waters. The larvae can only live for a few days unless it attaches to a hard surface (similar to oysters and mussels).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4923874 Molgulidae