尾海鞘纲是尾索动物亚门的一个纲，又名幼形纲。体小如蝌蚪，自由游泳生活，一对鳃裂，具背神经管和尾索。如尾海鞘、住囊虫。现存60多种，中国四大海域都有此类动物。

Larvaceans (Class Appendicularia) are solitary, free-swimming tunicates found throughout the world's oceans. Like most tunicates, appendicularians are filter feeders. Unlike most other tunicates, they live in the pelagic zone, specifically in the upper sunlit portion of the ocean (photic zone) or sometimes deeper. They are transparent planktonic animals, generally less than 1 cm (0.39 in) in body length (excluding the tail).