Microcosm
| Microcosm | ||||||||||
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Microcosmus sp. |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Microcosm | ||||||||||
| Heller , 1877 |
Microcosmus is a genus of sea squirts . Representatives of this genus are characterized by their diverse growth, which usually covers the entire body surface. This is where their name, which translates as "small world", is derived.
features
Species of the genus Microcosmus are always individually living animals and reach sizes up to 20 cm. The coat is leathery-hard and wrinkled, colored red-brown to purple. The surface is almost always overgrown by various sessile organisms (algae, sponges, moss animals, tube worms or other sea squirts), so that the sea squirt can often only be recognized by the red inlet and outlet openings.
habitat
Representatives of the genus can be found in all oceans. The animals grow on sand, mussel gravel and hard soils.
use
The intestinal sac of the Microcosmus species is considered a delicacy in the Mediterranean and is eaten raw. In 2004, 77 tons of Microcosmus vulgaris were harvested in the Mediterranean . Animals from polluted waters can have a high concentration of pollutants due to the large filter capacity of around 100 liters per day.
species
- Microcosmus hartmeyeri
- Microcosmus glacialis
- Microcosmus exasperatus
- Microcosmus helleri
- Microcosmus hernius
- Microcosmus hirsutus
- Microcosmus longicloa
- Microcosmus madagascariensis
- Microcosmus miniaceus
- Microcosmus multiplicatus
- Microcosmus multitentaculatus
- Microcosmus nudistigma
- Microcosmus oligophyllus
- Microcosmus pacificus
- Microcosmus planus
- Microcosmus polymorphus
- Microcosmus propinquus
- Microcosmus psammiferus
- Microcosmus pupa
- Microcosmus sabatieri
- Microcosmus santoensis
- Microcosmus savignyi
- Microcosmus senegalensis
- Microcosmus squamiger
- Microcosmus stoloniferus
- Microcosmus trigonimus
- Microcosmus tuberculatus
- Microcosmus vesiculosus
- Microcosmus vulgaris
Individual evidence
- ↑ FAO yearbook 2004: fishery statistics: capture production, Volume 98
swell
- Helmut Göthel: Lower animals color atlas Mediterranean fauna: lower animals and fish. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-8001-7368-9 .
- Species list at marine species
