Common Name: Fleshy sea squirt

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Recorded from the Indo-West Pacific region and the Mediterranean Sea. In Australia recorded from around Noosa Heads in southern Queensland, around the southern coast to Shark Bay in Western Australia, and including northern Tasmania.

Ecological Notes: Found in sheltered waters, estuaries and bays, particularly where high levels of nutrients and good water flow. Depth to 15 m.

Additional Notes: May be grey or yellow, often with raised ridges and bumps, and small dark spots. The solid body is longer than wide, the siphons with up to 10 or 12 pleats around the aperture. The inhalent siphon is directed horizontally and downwards, the exhalent siphon is positioned to direct water upwards and away from the inhalent siphon. Grows to around 16 cm long.

References: Graham J. Edgar. Tropical Marine Life of Australia, 2019. New Holland Publishers Pty Ltd.

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Palomares, M.L.D. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. SeaLifeBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.sealifebase.org version (10/2018). https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/Phallusia-obesa.html 

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=phallusia+obesa. Accessed 09/09/2022.