I found this mauve-mouth ascidian, Herdmania grandis, inside a sponge at Rapid Bay jetty on 20th June 2025: –
I posted these details, along with photos, to iNaturalist: –
“The pale simple ascidian in the sponge is as found. It’s probably fallen into the sponge after being dislodged from a jetty pile or other part of the structure. As for whether it is alive or dead, I’m unable to determine, although I think it’s most likely dead. And I note that many Mauve-mouth Ascidians have been washed ashore dead and dying during the worst stages of the toxic algal bloom affecting many parts of coastal SA in recent months. I’ve found plenty of mature, dead Herdmania grandis on Normanville Beach and Lady Bay beaches, and some are on iNat.
“I’m only theorising, but we know that Mauve-mouth Ascidians are very long lived, and my impression is that they have suffered more deaths from the algal blooms than most short-lived ascidian species, which, if true, is yet another worrying indicator that bloom affected areas will take decades, not months or years, to regain their pre-bloom biodiversity and relatively mature ecosystem health.”
Hi David, perhaps you can include this information in a new article for the Yankalilla News. I note you have an ongoing allocated section in their magazine-style publication. It would be good for the locals to have an understanding of the marine life impact on the recent algae bloom.