GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Adult tunicates are simple organisms. They are basically a barrel-shaped sack with two openings or siphons that water passes through. They draw water into their body through one siphon, filter out food like plankton, and expel the remaining water out of the other siphon.

Detailed explanation-2: -Most tunicates live with the posterior, or lower end of the barrel attached firmly to a fixed object, and have two openings, or siphons, projecting from the other. Tunicates are plankton feeders. They live by drawing seawater through their bodies.

Detailed explanation-3: -The solitary animals live separately all of their lives inside of their tunics. Each has two siphons-the oral siphon that receives the nutrient rich current and the atrial siphon that excretes the waste. Colonial species share a common tunic and sometimes also share the atrial siphon.

Detailed explanation-4: -As adults, most tunicates are sessile (they do not move around) filter feeders that lack a notochord and a post-anal tail. They also lack the body segmentation that is found in other chordates.