Whole body regeneration in a colonial ascidian, Botrylloides violaceus.

Colonial ascidians are the only chordates to undergo whole body regeneration (WBR), the ability to form an entirely new individual from the peripheral vasculature. Here we describe WBR in Botrylloides violaceus, a colonial ascidian that reliably regenerates after ablation of all zooids and buds of young colonies. During early regeneration several buds develop within the tunic vasculature, but only one continues development into a complete zooid.