This tunicate classification only concerns species from Western Europe; thus, non-European and fossil species are excluded. Only the classification for the species presented in this website is fully mentionned; else, if a species is not referred to in this website, this classification is incomplete.

Classification of West-European Tunicates

Appendicularians, ascidians, salps

• Phylum Chordata Bateson, 1885
• Subphylum Tunicata Lamarck, 1816
• Class Larvacea
• Order Copelata
• Family Oikopleuridae

• Oikopleura dioica Fol, 1872

• Class Ascidiacea
• Order Aplousobranchia
• Family Polyclinidae

• Pseudodistoma obscurum Pérès, 1959
• Aplidium elegans (Giard, 1872)
• Aplidium nordmanni (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Aplidium pallidum (Verrill, 1871)
• Aplidium proliferum (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Aplidium punctum (Giard, 1873)
• Aplidium turbinatum (Savigny, 1816)
• Aplidium sp. 
• Aplidium sp. 
• Morchellium argus (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Polyclinum aurantium Milne-Edwards 1841
• Cf. Synoicum blochmanni (Heiden, 1894)
• Synoicum incrustatum (Sars, 1851)

• Family Didemnidae

• Didemnum commune (Della Valle, 1877)
• Didemnum coriaceum (Drasche, 1883)
• Didemnum fulgens Milne-Edwards, 1841
• Didemnum maculosum (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Didemnum sp. 
• Diplosoma listerianum (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Diplosoma spongiforme Giard, 1872
• Lissoclinum perforatum (Giard, 1872)
• Lissoclinum weigelei Lafargue, 1968
• Polysyncraton bilobatum Lafargue, 1968
• Polysyncraton lacazei (Giard, 1872)
• Trididemnum cereum (Giard, 1872)

• Family Clavelinidae

• Clavelina dellavallei (Zirpolo, 1825)
• Clavelina lepadiformis Müller, 1776
• Clavelina nana Lahille, 1890
• Clavelina sp. 

• Family Polycitoridae

• Pycnoclavella aurilucens Garstang, 1891
• Pycnoclavella producta (Milne-Edwards, 1841)
• Cf. Pycnoclavella taureanensis Brunetti, 1991

• Order Phlebobranchia
• Family Cionidae

• Ciona edwardsi Roule, 1884
• Ciona intestinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

• Family Ascidiidae

• Ascidia conchilega Müller, 1776
• Ascidia mentula Müller, 1776
• Ascidia virginea Müller, 1776
• Ascidiella aspersa (Müller, 1776)
• Ascidiella scabra (Müller, 1776)
• Phallusia mammillata (Cuvier, 1815)
• Phallusia fumigata Grube, 1864

• Ordre des Stolidobranchia
• Family Styelidae

• Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816)
• Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas, 1766)
• Dendrodoa grossularia (Van Beneden, 1846)
• Distomus variolosus Gaertner, 1774
• Polycarpa scuba Monniot C., 1971
• Stolonica socialis Hartmeyer, 1903
• Styela clava Herdman, 1881
• Styela plicata (Lesueur, 1823)

• Family Pyuridae

• Halocynthia papillosa (Linnaeus, 1767)
• Pyura microcosmus (Savigny, 1816)
• Pyura tessellata (Forbes, 1848)

• Class Thaliacea
• Order Pyrosomatida

• This order is only mentionned for information.
  There is no representative of Pyrosomatida in west European seas.

• Order Salpida
• Family Salpidae

• Pegea confoederata (Forskål, 1775)
• Thetys vagina Tilesius, 1802

• Order Doliolida

• This order is only mentionned for information.
  There is no representative of Doliolida in west European seas.