Marine Life · Sea Squirts · South Africa

Elephant ear (Gynandrocarpa placenta)

A fresh specimen of elephant ear washed ashore. Unknown location, South Africa (2021).

A large colonial ascidian that consists of a large fleshy disk, often cream or pink in colour, on a thin short brown wrinkled stalk. Zooids robust arranged on the outer layer of the test and opening separately on the surface of the colony, while inner test gelatinous and semi-transparent.

About 10 cm in diameter and up to 3 – 5 cm thick. Each zooid is 5 – 8 mm long.

South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON, 2025).
Decaying specimen of elephant ear washed ashore. Unknown location, South Africa (2021).
Decaying specimen of elephant ear washed ashore. Unknown location, South Africa (2021).

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