Nephtheis

Nephtheis
File:Tunicado (Nephtheis fascicularis), Anilao, Filipinas, 2023-08-25, DD 10.jpg
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Tunicata
Class:	Ascidiacea
Order:	Aplousobranchia
Family:	Clavelinidae
Genus:	Nephtheis Gould, 1856
Species:	N. fascicularis
Binomial name
Nephtheis fascicularis (Drasche, 1882)
Synonyms
Genus synonymy Oxycorynia Drasche, 1882 Species synonymy Colella thompsoni Herdman, 1886 Herdman, 1886 Sluiter, 1909 (Herdman, 1886) Oxycorynia fascicularis Nephtheis fascularis Drasche, 1882 Nephtheis centripetens (Drasche, 1882) (Herdman, 1886) Nephtheis malayensis Colella thomsoni Sluiter, 1909 Sluiter, 1909 Nephtheis thompsoni Nephtheis faciformis (Herdman, 1886) Oxycorynia thompsoni Nephtheis thomsoni

Nephtheis fascicularis, commonly called the lollipop tunicate, lollipop coral, or blue palm coral, is a species of tunicate that is native to the shallow reefs of Indonesia. It is the only species in its genus Nephtheis. They are not photosynthetic, and live on plankton and small organic particles obtained from the water currents. The branched stems are formed by tiny polyps called zooids. Despite their name and appearance, they and other sea squirts are unrelated to true corals.