Higher Classification: > Kingdom Animalia > Subkingdom Eumetazoa > Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Tunicata > Class Ascidiacea > Order Aplousobranchia > Family Didemnidae > Genus Didemnum

Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002

Rank: Species
Taxon Status: accepted

Relationships towards this taxon

Genus group names

*Didemnum*	Savigny, 1816	accepted genus name
*Diplosomoides*	Herdman, 1886	synonym
*Leptoclinum*	Milne Edwards, 1842	synonym

Vernaculars (+) (-)

Dutch: druipzakpijp

English: compound sea squirt

Literature

original description	Kott, P. (2002). A complex didemnid ascidian from Whangamata, New Zealand. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK. 82(4): 625-628.
additional source	van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO).
additional source	Kott, P.; Bradford-Grieve, J.; Esnal, G.; Murdoch, R.C. (2009). Phylum Tunicata: sea squirts, salps, appendicularians, in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. pp. 409-430.
additional source	Marchini, A., J. Ferrario, A. Sfriso & A. Occhipinti-Ambrogi. (2015). Current status and trends of biological invasions in the Lagoon of Venice, a hotspot of marine NIS introductions in the Mediterranean Sea. Biological Invasions. 17:2943–2962.
additional source	Zenetos, A., Gofas, S., Morri, C., Rosso, A, Violanti, D., Garcia Raso, J. E., Cinar, M. E., Almogi-Labin, A., Ates, A. S., Azzurro, E., Ballesteros, E., Bianchi, C. N., Bilecenoglu, M., Gambi, M. C., Giangrande, A., Gravili, C., Hyams-Kaphzan, O., Karachle, P. K., Katsanevakis, S., Lipej, L., Mastrototaro, F., Mineur, F., Pancucci-Papadopoulou, M. A., Ramos Espla, A., Salas, C., San Martin, G., Sfriso, A., Streftaris, N., and Verlaque, M. (2012). Alien species in the Mediterranean Sea by 2012. A contribution to the application of European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Part 2. Introduction trends and pathways. Mediterranean Marine Science. 13(2): 328-352.
taxonomy source	Lambert, G. (2009). Adventures of a sea squirt sleuth: unraveling the identity of Didemnum vexillum, a global ascidian invader. Aquatic Invasions. 4(1): 5-28.
taxonomy source	Stefaniak, L.; Lambert, G.; Gittenberger, A.; Zhang, H.; Lin, S.; Whitlatch, R.B. (2009). Genetic conspecificity of the worldwide populations of Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002. Aquatic Invasions 4(1): 29-44.

Genbank

External Links

Marine Life Information Network - UK

Citation

Shenkar, N.; Gittenberger, A.; Lambert, G.; Rius, M.; Moreira da Rocha, R.; Swalla, B.J.; Turon, X. (2025). Ascidiacea World Database. Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002. Via: Costello, M.J.; Bouchet, P.; Boxshall, G.; Arvantidis, C.; Appeltans, W. (2011) European Register of Marine Species, Accessed through PESI at http://www.eu-nomen.eu/portal/taxon.php?GUID=urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:250126