Blue bell tunicate (Clavelina moluccensis) care guide

Group
Other invertebrates
Other names
Bluebell tunicate, Blue sea squirt, Podoclavella moluccensis, Clavelina molluccensis
Family
Clavelinidae
Origin
Australia and the western Pacific, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
2.5 cm
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12, SG 1.023–1.025
Care level
expert
Temperament
peaceful
Reef safe
yes
Flow
Moderate, indirect flow; keep out of strong direct jets

Care

The blue bell tunicate is a sea squirt that grows in clusters of small, bottle-shaped, translucent blue zooids, each 0.5–2.5 cm tall, with darker blue spots and patches at the top. Despite its simple look, a tunicate is a chordate, more closely related to fish than to corals or sponges. In the wild it grows on dead coral and other hard surfaces, usually under overhangs. It is a sessile filter feeder and one of the hardest animals to keep alive in a home aquarium: most slowly starve in clean, heavily skimmed reef tanks, and colonies often shrink and disappear within months. It suits only mature, plankton-rich systems, ideally with a refugium, and keepers prepared to feed fine foods daily. Place it out of direct, strong flow and away from corals that could sting it, and avoid exposing it to air when moving it. Water figures here are standard reef conditions (general guidance). Copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most invertebrates. Sources: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavelinamoluccensis). Checked October 2026.

Diet

A filter feeder that pumps water through its body and strains out phytoplankton, bacteria and tiny particles. Feed live or liquid phytoplankton and very fine particulate foods every day, reducing skimming at feeding times. Even with care it is hard to keep fed and often starves.

Breeding

Our sources do not cover its reproduction. Colonial tunicates generally grow by budding new zooids from the base and can also spawn larvae that settle nearby; colonies sometimes bud and spread in very well-fed systems.

Compatibility and tank mates

Reef safe and harmless to other animals. May be eaten by angelfish, butterflyfish, puffers and some sea slugs and urchins, and stung by nearby corals.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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