Bathochordaeus

Bathochordaeus, the giant larvaceans, is a genus of larvacean tunicates in the family Oikopleuridae. They are free-swimming filter-feeding marine animals that build mucus bubbles. They eat tiny particles of dead or drifting organic material that float through the water column, which contribute to the oceanic carbon cycle and the accelerated transfer of carbon to the deep sea.^[2]

Bathochordaeus
Bathochordaeus charon (A to C) and B. stygius (E to F)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Tunicata
Class:	Appendicularia
Order:	Copelata
Family:	Oikopleuridae
Subfamily:	Bathochordaeinae
Genus:	Bathochordaeus Chun, 1900[1]
Species
Bathochordaeus charon Chun, 1900 Bathochordaeus mcnutti Sherlock, Walz, Schlining & Robison, 2017 Bathochordaeus stygius Garstang, 1937

Description

They are much larger than other genera of larvaceans, ranging from 3 to 10 centimeters in total length, with houses reaching more than 1 meter in diameter.^[3]

Distribution

Giant larvaceans are widespread through the planet's oceans, being found in the North and South Pacific Ocean, the North and South Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Three species have been described, Bathochordaeus charon, B. mcnutti and B. stygius, all of them found in Monterey Bay.^[3]