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Animal profile

Salp

ThaliaceaOpen ocean water column, from the surface to several hundred metres

Field profile

Barrel-shaped planktonic tunicates that pump water through their bodies both to feed and to move. They alternate between solitary individuals and long chains of connected clones. Their faecal pellets sink rapidly, carrying carbon to depth.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-06-22

Salp

A salp swims and eats with the same pump

Water drawn in at the front passes through an internal mucus net that catches plankton, then is expelled at the rear as jet propulsion. Feeding and locomotion are one action, driven by rhythmic contraction of muscle bands.

Read with evidence →

Salp | Daily Animal Facts