When is a peach not a peach? When it is a sea peach, of course! One of the animals frequently collected during scallop drags on our research vessel is the sea peach (Halocynthia pyriformis).
- Two siphons near top; one for pumping in water and food, the other for expelling waste.
- Filters plankton from the water.
- A hermaphrodite; eggs and sperm are released and fertilization occurs in the water.
- The larvae have a notochord which disappears as it becomes an adult; this notochord makes the sea peach a primitive chordate (and a ‘relative’ of humans).
- Adults are sessile and live attached to rocks.
Looking for information on local marine species for students conducting school research projects? Check out the Introduction to Classification on our website, www.huntsmanmarine.ca/html/classification.html.
Three sea peaches in a tank in our lab.
A little sea peach attached to a rock.
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