Can you identify this tiny sessile tide pool critter from Maine?

August 7, 2013 5:33 AM

Last week the kids and I explored lots of tide pools in Maine and found all sorts of interesting things. But there were some organisms firmly attached to the underside of rocks that I am unable to identify. They looked like clear discs of tough jelly, with a star-like pattern inside, and were all about a half a centimeter in diameter. Here's a photo that you can zoom in on to see them - they are near the bottom edge of the rock in the pic - zoomit link. (Also - is that a mass of eggs next to one of them as well?)
posted by chr1sb0y to Pets & Animals (7 answers total)

Any way you can put it somewhere that doesn't require installation of silverlight?
posted by miss tea at 6:36 AM on August 7, 2013

The link is working OK without Silverlight here. I'm using Firefox 17, if that's helpful to you?
posted by Solomon at 6:43 AM on August 7, 2013

Response by poster: Here's a link to the flickr page of the image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12582489@N00/9458743638/sizes/k/ - hope that helps.
posted by chr1sb0y at 6:47 AM on August 7, 2013

Best answer: Could it be related to Botryllus Schlosseri? Those look pretty globular and star-like. And GulfofMaine.org says that is an invasive tunicate.
posted by donut_princess at 7:08 AM on August 7, 2013

Interesting. It resembles a sand dollar but the clear carapace and inconsistent number of "arms" (sand dollars have five) denies that. donut_princess may have pinned it.
posted by miss tea at 7:12 AM on August 7, 2013

Best answer: Looks like donut_princess has it: star sea squirt, aka golden star tunicate: http://www.exoticsguide.org/botryllus_schlosseri; http://www.salemsound.org/mis/MISBotryllus.pdf
And those are quite possibly its "tadpole-like" eggs.
posted by progosk at 7:21 AM on August 7, 2013

I just came in to say: dude, these are so cool!
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:57 AM on August 7, 2013