Botryllus Gaertner 1774

Locality: Bali, Indonesia. Monniot & Monniot, 2001; p. 313 (California, Polynesia, Philippines, worldwide) Monniot et al., 1991; p. 206 (New Caledonia)

Locality: Grevelingen, The Netherlands. Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Each individual in this colony lives for about seven days and then dies by 'programmed cell death.' Here new individuals are being budded off lateral to the smaller senescent ones.

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: North East USA . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Star ascidian; Gesterde geleikorst.

Locality: Grevelingen, The Netherlands. Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Adjacent Botryllus colonies will fuse if they share one allele of a common 'fusibility gene.' Here, lacking such an allele, the colonies recognize each other as non-self and rejection occurs in a reaction analogous to human organ rejection following transplantation. Field of view 15 mm.

Locality: U.S. north east coast . Hayward & Ryland, 1995; p. 709 (Norway to Mediterranean)

Cosmopolitan organism found worldwide. Individual zooids are hermaphroditic; they do not self fertilize. Non-feeding 'tadpole' larvae settle to found new colonies. The larvae have the characteristics of a vertebrate embryo making them relatives of ours. Field of view 15 mm.

These adjacent Botryllus colonies share one allele of their 'fusibility gene' and consequently are undergoing fusion. They will form chimeras.