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Larvacea
Larvaceans, copelates or appendicularians, class Appendicularia, are solitary, free-swimming tunicates found throughout the world's oceans. While larvaceans are filter feeders like most other tunicates, they keep their tadpole-like shape as adults, with the notochord running through the tail. They can be found in the pelagic zone, specifically in the photic zone, or sometimes deeper. They are transparent planktonic animals, usually ranging from to in body length including the tail, although giant larvaceans can reach up to in length. Larvaceans are known for the large houses they build around their bodies to assist in filter-feeding. Secreted from mucus and cellulose, these structures often comprise several layers of filters and can reach up to ten times their body length. In some genera like ''Oikopleura'', houses are built and discarded every few hours, with sinking houses playing a key role in the oceanic carbon cycle. History The study of larvaceans began with the de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bathochordaeus
''Bathochordaeus'', the giant larvaceans, is a genus of larvacean tunicates in the family Oikopleuridae. They are free-swimming Filter feeder, filter-feeding marine animals that build mucus bubbles. They eat tiny particles of dead or drifting organic material that float through the water column, which contribute to the oceanic carbon cycle and the accelerated transfer of carbon to the deep sea. Description They are much larger than other genera of larvaceans, ranging from 3 to 10 centimeters in total length, with houses reaching more than 1 meter in diameter. Distribution Giant larvaceans are widespread through the planet's oceans, being found in the North and South Pacific Ocean, the North and South Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Three species have been described, ''Bathochordaeus charon'', ''Bathochordaeus mcnutti, B. mcnutti'' and ''Bathochordaeus stygius, B. stygius'', all of them found in Monterey Bay. References External links ''Bathochordaeus''at WoRM ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant Larvacean
''Bathochordaeus'', the giant larvaceans, is a genus of larvacean tunicates in the family Oikopleuridae. They are free-swimming filter-feeding marine animals that build mucus bubbles. They eat tiny particles of dead or drifting organic material that float through the water column, which contribute to the oceanic carbon cycle and the accelerated transfer of carbon to the deep sea. Description They are much larger than other genera of larvaceans, ranging from 3 to 10 centimeters in total length, with houses reaching more than 1 meter in diameter. Distribution Giant larvaceans are widespread through the planet's oceans, being found in the North and South Pacific Ocean, the North and South Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Three species have been described, '' Bathochordaeus charon'', '' B. mcnutti'' and '' B. stygius'', all of them found in Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fritillaria (tunicate)
''Fritillaria'' is a genus of larvacean tunicates belonging to the family Fritillariidae. Anatomy and behavior ''Fritillaria'' differs from other larvaceans like the well-studied ''Oikopleura'' by having an elongated trunk region, divided into three distinct sections. Only the anterior section, comprising the mouth, pharynx and cerebral ganglion, is covered in oikoplastic epithelium. It features a dorsal projection of epithelium, comprising many cellulose-secreting oikoplasts. The middle section, connected to the front by the oesophagus, comprises the gut and anus, and connects to the tail. In the larva, it is covered by the epithelium, before the latter retracts to the anterior lobe and differentiates into oikoplasts. The posterior section houses the gonads, growing inside an extension of the trunk. The latter two sections are devoid of epidermis, instead replaced by a thin cuticular layer secreted by the epithelium during the larval stage. House Like other larvacean ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bathochordaeus Charon
''Bathochordaeus charon'' is a species of giant larvacean, a solitary, free-swimming tunicate that filter feeds in surface waters. The species was named after Charon, the mythical Greek ferryman who carried the souls of the dead across the rivers dividing the world of the living from the world of the dead. ''National Geographic'', 6 December 2016. First description of this very large larvacean was provided in 1900 by from two specimens collected during the Valdivia expedition in 1898–1899. The first definitive record of ''Bathochordaeus charon'' since its original d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesochordaeus
''Mesochordaeus'' is a genus of oikopleurid larvacean, related to ''Bathochordaeus''. Description ''Mesochordaeus'' is a comparatively large larvacean, with a tail length reaching up to . The genus is characterized by its large spiracles. Distribution Two species are known. ''Mesochordaeus bahamasi'' has been reported in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas, while ''Mesochordaeus erythrocephalus'' has been found in Monterey Bay, California, sharing this habitat with its relative ''Bathochordaeus ''Bathochordaeus'', the giant larvaceans, is a genus of larvacean tunicates in the family Oikopleuridae. They are free-swimming Filter feeder, filter-feeding marine animals that build mucus bubbles. They eat tiny particles of dead or drifting org ...''. References Oikopleuridae Tunicate genera {{tunicata-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Appendicularia (animal Genus)
''Appendicularia'' is a genus of larvaceans in the family Fritillariidae. History The genus name ''Appendicularia'' was originally coined by Chamisso and Eysenhardt in 1821, naming the first discovered larvacean ''Appendicularia flagellum''. However, the lack of an accurate description made it a ''nomen nudum'', leading to it being reused by Hermann Fol for the species ''Appendicularia sicula''. Description ''Appendicularia'' is relatively small in comparison to other larvaceans, with an adult body length of around 0.4 mm and a tail length of around 1.1 mm in ''A. sicula''. The body is flattened in its front half, and bulged in its posterior half. The house is ellipsoidal, measuring around 2.6 mm in length. Distribution The first description of ''Appendicularia sicula'' was made from specimens found near Messina, Italy. Since then, it has also been found in low-depth waters near the coasts of the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Hokkaido is the list of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kowalevskia
''Kowalevskia'' is a genus of larvacean tunicates, the only one in the family Kowalevskiidae. Species * '' Kowalevskia oceanica'' Lohmann, 1899 * '' Kowalevskia tenuis'' Fol, 1872 Description ''Kowalevskia'' is a small larvacean. In the adult, the body measures around 1 mm long, while the tail is 8 mm long, appearing stretched and tapered at its ends. Unlike other Appendicularia species, ''Kowalevskia'' doesn't have a heart. Instead, the circulatory system is powered by the beating tail. ''Kowalevskia'' also lacks an endostyle, being replaced by a ciliated groove without glandular cells. The spiracles also differ from other families, being shaped as long, narrow slits. House Uniquely among larvaceans, ''Kowalevskias house is ellipsoidal or toroidal in shape, 1 to 2 cm in diameter. It has a single opening, acting both as inlet and outlet. Distribution Both species of ''Kowalevskia'' have a wide distribution. ''K. tenuis'' can be found in the East Atl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Appendiculariinae
''Appendicularia'' is a genus of larvaceans in the family Fritillariidae. History The genus name ''Appendicularia'' was originally coined by Chamisso and Eysenhardt in 1821, naming the first discovered larvacean ''Appendicularia flagellum''. However, the lack of an accurate description made it a ''nomen nudum'', leading to it being reused by Hermann Fol for the species ''Appendicularia sicula''. Description ''Appendicularia'' is relatively small in comparison to other larvaceans, with an adult body length of around 0.4 mm and a tail length of around 1.1 mm in ''A. sicula''. The body is flattened in its front half, and bulged in its posterior half. The house is ellipsoidal, measuring around 2.6 mm in length. Distribution The first description of ''Appendicularia sicula'' was made from specimens found near Messina, Italy. Since then, it has also been found in low-depth waters near the coasts of the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Hokkaido is the list of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kowalevskiidae
''Kowalevskia'' is a genus of larvacean tunicates, the only one in the family Kowalevskiidae. Species * '' Kowalevskia oceanica'' Lohmann, 1899 * '' Kowalevskia tenuis'' Fol, 1872 Description ''Kowalevskia'' is a small larvacean. In the adult, the body measures around 1 mm long, while the tail is 8 mm long, appearing stretched and tapered at its ends. Unlike other Appendicularia species, ''Kowalevskia'' doesn't have a heart. Instead, the circulatory system is powered by the beating tail. ''Kowalevskia'' also lacks an endostyle, being replaced by a ciliated groove without glandular cells. The spiracles also differ from other families, being shaped as long, narrow slits. House Uniquely among larvaceans, ''Kowalevskias house is ellipsoidal or toroidal in shape, 1 to 2 cm in diameter. It has a single opening, acting both as inlet and outlet. Distribution Both species of ''Kowalevskia'' have a wide distribution. ''K. tenuis'' can be found in the East Atl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oikopleura
''Oikopleura'' is a genus of tunicates in the class Appendicularia (larvaceans). It forms a mucus house every four hours at 20 degrees Celsius. This house has a coarse mesh to keep out big particles, and a fine mesh that collects the small particles, down to the nanoplankton that includes (pelagic) bacteria. Abandoned mucus houses sink to the deep, collecting organic particles during their descent. They make an important contribution to marine snow, since ''Oikopleura'' is abundant and is a very active filterer, using powerful strokes of its tail. Its abundance is less obvious from preserved samples (that are usually analyzed) because the gelatinous body disappears in the preservation process while leaving hardly any trace. Species of ''Oikopleura'' have the smallest genomes in the animal kingdom, only about 75 Mb. ''Oikopleura'' contains bioluminescent species. About half of ''Oikopleura'' species are bioluminescent. Etymology The genus name comes from ''oikos'' (meaning ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tunicate
Tunicates are marine invertebrates belonging to the subphylum Tunicata ( ). This grouping is part of the Chordata, a phylum which includes all animals with dorsal nerve cords and notochords (including vertebrates). The subphylum was at one time called Urochordata, and the term urochordates is still sometimes used for these animals. Despite their simple appearance and very different adult form, their close relationship to the vertebrates is certain. Both groups are chordates, as evidenced by the fact that during their mobile larval stage, tunicates possess a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, post-anal tail, and an endostyle. They resemble a tadpole. Tunicates are the only chordates that have lost their Myomere, myomeric segmentation, with the possible exception of the seriation of the gill slits. However, Doliolida, doliolids still display segmentation of the muscle bands. Some tunicates live as solitary individuals, but others replicate by budding and be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bathochordaeinae
Oikopleuridae is a family of larvacean tunicates. A comparatively species-rich family, it has been especially well-researched thanks to the ubiquity of ''Oikopleura dioica'' as a model species. It comprises two subfamilies, Bathochordaeinae and Oikopleurinae, itself divided into the tribes Alabiata and Labiata. It is believed to be sister to the clade formed by the two other families (Fritillariidae and Kowalevskiidae ''Kowalevskia'' is a genus of larvacean tunicates, the only one in the family Kowalevskiidae. Species * '' Kowalevskia oceanica'' Lohmann, 1899 * '' Kowalevskia tenuis'' Fol, 1872 Description ''Kowalevskia'' is a small larvacean. In the ad ...), united by common derived characteristics lacking in Oikopleuridae. References * Van der Land, J. (2001). Appendicularia, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Pat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
