A global review of pyrosomes: Shedding light on the ocean's elusive gelatinous “fire‐bodies”
Abstract Pyrosomes are colonial tunicates that form gelatinous tubes and occasionally produce bioluminescent swarms. The rapid “bloom‐bust” dynamics of pyrosomes have the potential to outcompete other zooplankton, restructure marine food webs, enhance carbon export, and interfere with human activiti...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Limnology and Oceanography Letters |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10350 |
| _version_ | 1797630879612272640 |
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| author | Laura E. Lilly Iain M. Suthers Jason D. Everett Anthony J. Richardson |
| author_facet | Laura E. Lilly Iain M. Suthers Jason D. Everett Anthony J. Richardson |
| author_sort | Laura E. Lilly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Pyrosomes are colonial tunicates that form gelatinous tubes and occasionally produce bioluminescent swarms. The rapid “bloom‐bust” dynamics of pyrosomes have the potential to outcompete other zooplankton, restructure marine food webs, enhance carbon export, and interfere with human activities. Pyrosomes have been recorded for at least two centuries, yet much remains unknown about their physiology, bloom mechanisms, and ecosystem impacts. Recent bloom reports prompt the question of whether frequencies or densities are increasing, and whether potential population changes are caused by ocean change. This review clarifies current information on pyrosome biology and ecology and explores apparent contradictions in habitat preferences and diel vertical migration (DVM). We posit that the dominant species, Pyrosoma atlanticum, may preferentially inhabit waters below 18°C and alter its DVM activity to maintain overall body temperature near this threshold. Expanding our knowledge of pyrosomes is needed to facilitate their inclusion in ecosystem models and forecasts of future population distributions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:13:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-26ecc91e296a4d16a59ec8499f7f6c5e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2378-2242 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:13:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Limnology and Oceanography Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-26ecc91e296a4d16a59ec8499f7f6c5e2023-11-11T07:40:16ZengWileyLimnology and Oceanography Letters2378-22422023-12-018681282910.1002/lol2.10350A global review of pyrosomes: Shedding light on the ocean's elusive gelatinous “fire‐bodies”Laura E. Lilly0Iain M. Suthers1Jason D. Everett2Anthony J. Richardson3School of Mathematics and Physics University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland AustraliaCenter for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales AustraliaSchool of Mathematics and Physics University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland AustraliaSchool of Mathematics and Physics University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland AustraliaAbstract Pyrosomes are colonial tunicates that form gelatinous tubes and occasionally produce bioluminescent swarms. The rapid “bloom‐bust” dynamics of pyrosomes have the potential to outcompete other zooplankton, restructure marine food webs, enhance carbon export, and interfere with human activities. Pyrosomes have been recorded for at least two centuries, yet much remains unknown about their physiology, bloom mechanisms, and ecosystem impacts. Recent bloom reports prompt the question of whether frequencies or densities are increasing, and whether potential population changes are caused by ocean change. This review clarifies current information on pyrosome biology and ecology and explores apparent contradictions in habitat preferences and diel vertical migration (DVM). We posit that the dominant species, Pyrosoma atlanticum, may preferentially inhabit waters below 18°C and alter its DVM activity to maintain overall body temperature near this threshold. Expanding our knowledge of pyrosomes is needed to facilitate their inclusion in ecosystem models and forecasts of future population distributions.https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10350 |
| spellingShingle | Laura E. Lilly Iain M. Suthers Jason D. Everett Anthony J. Richardson A global review of pyrosomes: Shedding light on the ocean's elusive gelatinous “fire‐bodies” Limnology and Oceanography Letters |
| title | A global review of pyrosomes: Shedding light on the ocean's elusive gelatinous “fire‐bodies” |
| title_full | A global review of pyrosomes: Shedding light on the ocean's elusive gelatinous “fire‐bodies” |
| title_fullStr | A global review of pyrosomes: Shedding light on the ocean's elusive gelatinous “fire‐bodies” |
| title_full_unstemmed | A global review of pyrosomes: Shedding light on the ocean's elusive gelatinous “fire‐bodies” |
| title_short | A global review of pyrosomes: Shedding light on the ocean's elusive gelatinous “fire‐bodies” |
| title_sort | global review of pyrosomes shedding light on the ocean s elusive gelatinous fire bodies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10350 |
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