Cionidae
Cionidae is a family of tunicates, commonly called sea squirts, within the subphylum Urochordata and the class Ascidiacea. The best-known members belong to the genus Ciona, including species such as Ciona intestinalis and Ciona savignyi; taxonomic boundaries have varied, and some classifications include a small number of additional genera.
Members of Cionidae are sessile, filter-feeding animals that live attached to hard substrates in coastal waters,
During their life cycle, Cionidae undergo a free-swimming larval stage that bears a notochord and dorsal nerve
Ecology and distribution: Cionidae tunicates occur in temperate and boreal oceans worldwide, frequently on natural substrates
Significance: Ciona species are important model organisms in developmental biology and genomics. Their relatively simple body
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