Salpidae
Sign in to savethumb|244px| Circular ring cluster of pelagic salps off Aorangaia Island, New Zealand thumb|244px| thumb|244px|right| thumb|244px|right|Pegea confederata on a 1995 Postage stamps and postal history of Azerbaijan|stamp from Azerbaijan
Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassThaliacea
- OrderSalpida
- FamilySalpidae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Distribution
- Life cycle
- History
- Oceanographic importance
- Nervous systems and relationships to other animals
- Classification
- References
- External links
thumb|244px| Circular ring cluster of pelagic salps off Aorangaia Island, New Zealand thumb|244px| thumb|244px|right| thumb|244px|right|Pegea confederata on a 1995 Postage stamps and postal history of Azerbaijan|stamp from Azerbaijan
A salp (: salps) or salpa (: salpae or salpas) is a barrel-shaped, planktonic tunicate in the family Salpidae. The salp moves by contracting its gelatinous body in order to pump water through it; it is one of the most efficient examples of jet propulsion in the animal kingdom. The salp feeds on phytoplankton, which it collects by straining water through its internal feeding filters.