Saddle sea squirt

Cnemidocarpa bicornuta

Other invertebrates
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth0–108 m
Water temperature-2–21 °C
Best monthsMarch, April, and November
How commonRare

All species

Photo credit: no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 12 records
February: 14 records
March: 20 records
April: 16 records
May: 14 records
June: 8 records
July: 4 records
August: 5 records
September: 10 records
October: 8 records
November: 18 records
December: 3 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–108 m · Deepest record: 133.5 m

0–10 m: 15 records
10–20 m: 4 records
20–30 m: 2 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 1 records
50–60 m: 1 records
60–70 m: 1 records
70–80 m: 3 records
80–90 m: 3 records
90–100 m: 2 records
100–110 m: 3 records
110+ m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of -2–21 °C

-2–0 °C: 1 records
0–2 °C: 0 records
2–4 °C: 0 records
4–6 °C: 0 records
6–8 °C: 0 records
8–10 °C: 0 records
10–12 °C: 5 records
12–14 °C: 10 records
14–16 °C: 12 records
16–18 °C: 15 records
18–20 °C: 0 records
20–22 °C: 2 records

Photos

(c) Saryu Mae 前朝琉, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Shaun Lee, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Jacqui Geux, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Tony Wills, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
(c) Javier, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Saddle sea squirt

Other scientific names: Styela argillacea, Styela bicornuta

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
77 open-data records from 1944 to 2025.
Species data updated November 1, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist