Seth and I were looking for critters at Apollo Bay Harbour recently when we found what looks to be Botryllus schlosseri growing on a chiton. I’ve never seen this before! Normally, I’ll find colonial ascidians growing on plants or a sea squirt. A chiton has a completely different surface.
The photos of the chiton aren’t good enough to properly identify it. Peers from the field nats suggested it may be Ischnochiton australis.
Will be interesting to see if there are any patterns with the type of species this ascidian grows on. It seems less discerning compared to Botryllids. At the same time, the botryllids at Apollo Bay appear to have different growth patterns compared to St Helens.
