6.Taxon Group: Colonial Ascidiacea

This is part of the collection "DToL Taxon-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Marine Metazoa", lead by the Other Metazoa Working Group. The SOP collection contains guidance on how to process the various marine Metazoa species within the scope of the Darwin Tree of Life project. The guidance specifically refers to the tissue samples needed for DNA barcoding (which takes place at the Natural History Museum (NHM) and at the Marine Biological Association (MBA)) and outlines the dissected tissues required for whole genome sequencing, which takes place at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Every specimen is submitted for DNA barcoding first before potentially being sent to the Wellcome Sanger institute.

Definition: Colonial ascidians are when multiple individual ascidians live and interact closely with each other. Each individual in the colony has its own intake siphon for feeding, but several individuals may combine to share one exit siphon.

Including: Families Didemnidae, Polyclinidae, Polycitoridae, Holozoidae,Clavelinidae, Perophoridae, Diazonidae, colonial Styelidae

Excluding: Unitary (= ‘solitary, non-colonial) Ascidiacea; for this, see separate SOP in the collection.

See the Guidelines for important details and checklist.