An Introduction to <i>Diopatra</i>, the Amazing Ecosystem Engineering Polychaete
The annelid genus <i>Diopatra</i> occurs in all major oceans but is best represented in the shallow depths of warmer waters, where it lives in elaborately decorated tubes. This paper provides an introduction to the animals, discussing their history and diversity. We describe and illustra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/7/1027 |
| _version_ | 1797590187090378752 |
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| author | Andrés Arias Sarah A. Woodin Hannelore Paxton |
| author_facet | Andrés Arias Sarah A. Woodin Hannelore Paxton |
| author_sort | Andrés Arias |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The annelid genus <i>Diopatra</i> occurs in all major oceans but is best represented in the shallow depths of warmer waters, where it lives in elaborately decorated tubes. This paper provides an introduction to the animals, discussing their history and diversity. We describe and illustrate its morphology and geographic distribution. While they were thought to be predominantly gonochoristic, recent reproductive studies show that several species are protandric simultaneous hermaphrodites. Development is by broadcast spawning with a brief pelagic stage or direct development in the parental tube or egg mass attached to it. <i>Diopatra</i> is a key ecosystem engineer, altering water flow and deposition and increasing the availability of refugia. We also discuss its harvesting as fishing bait, its role as an alien or introduced species, its capacity to regenerate, its therapeutic potential, and its applications as a bioindicator species for climate change, geographic distribution changes, and dispersal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:17:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b6bba82e31ee4d409affc0e65b164a70 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:17:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6bba82e31ee4d409affc0e65b164a702023-11-18T18:24:34ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372023-07-01127102710.3390/biology12071027An Introduction to <i>Diopatra</i>, the Amazing Ecosystem Engineering PolychaeteAndrés Arias0Sarah A. Woodin1Hannelore Paxton2Department of Organisms and Systems Biology (Zoology), University of Oviedo, 33071 Oviedo, SpainDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USASchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, AustraliaThe annelid genus <i>Diopatra</i> occurs in all major oceans but is best represented in the shallow depths of warmer waters, where it lives in elaborately decorated tubes. This paper provides an introduction to the animals, discussing their history and diversity. We describe and illustrate its morphology and geographic distribution. While they were thought to be predominantly gonochoristic, recent reproductive studies show that several species are protandric simultaneous hermaphrodites. Development is by broadcast spawning with a brief pelagic stage or direct development in the parental tube or egg mass attached to it. <i>Diopatra</i> is a key ecosystem engineer, altering water flow and deposition and increasing the availability of refugia. We also discuss its harvesting as fishing bait, its role as an alien or introduced species, its capacity to regenerate, its therapeutic potential, and its applications as a bioindicator species for climate change, geographic distribution changes, and dispersal.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/7/1027AnnelidaOnuphidaemorphologyreproductionecologyfishing bait |
| spellingShingle | Andrés Arias Sarah A. Woodin Hannelore Paxton An Introduction to <i>Diopatra</i>, the Amazing Ecosystem Engineering Polychaete Biology Annelida Onuphidae morphology reproduction ecology fishing bait |
| title | An Introduction to <i>Diopatra</i>, the Amazing Ecosystem Engineering Polychaete |
| title_full | An Introduction to <i>Diopatra</i>, the Amazing Ecosystem Engineering Polychaete |
| title_fullStr | An Introduction to <i>Diopatra</i>, the Amazing Ecosystem Engineering Polychaete |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Introduction to <i>Diopatra</i>, the Amazing Ecosystem Engineering Polychaete |
| title_short | An Introduction to <i>Diopatra</i>, the Amazing Ecosystem Engineering Polychaete |
| title_sort | introduction to i diopatra i the amazing ecosystem engineering polychaete |
| topic | Annelida Onuphidae morphology reproduction ecology fishing bait |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/7/1027 |
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