This colony of squirts looks like a rather weird mushroom! But if you look closely you can see the lines of individual zooids going up to a single exhalant siphon. It is purple in colour and feels like jelly to the touch.

It is found on exposed to semi-exposed shores from very low tide to about 20m depth. It prefers areas of fast water flow and is attached to rocks ans hard man-made structures.

It is a filter feeder, feeding on organic matter in the water.

Not found on the west coast.

Photo Credit: Rod Morris. Photos available from www.rodmorris.co.nz