Carpet sea squirt
Marine species not currently found in South Australia.
Carpet sea squirt (Didemnum vexillum) is an exotic marine pest that has the potential for significant environmental and economic impacts.
It is listed on the National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases.
Responses to carpet sea squirt are under way in Western Australia (WA) and New South Wales (NSW).
Carpet sea squirt is a highly invasive marine animal that can overgrow rocks, shellfish, sea sponges and algae. It can also overgrow man-made structures such as wharves, jetty pylons, pontoons, buoys and vessels.
Declared noxious under the Fisheries Management Act 2007. Noxious species are a severe threat to the natural environment and industries. They cannot be held or traded in South Australia without specific authorisation and must not be returned to the water if caught.
What to look for:
- usually a yellow-grey mass but colour is variable
- has holes that are used for siphoning water to feed
- will grow as a covering over surfaces but may get quite thick (up to 10 cm), producing 'arms' or tendrils up to 1 metre long that hang below the main mass.
