Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS24 The Ecology of Pelagic Gelatinous Zooplankton

Date: Monday, February 12, 2001, Time: 2:15:00 PM

Location: Acoma/Zuni/Tesuque

Gibson, D, M, Savannah State University, Savannah, GA, USA, dgibson@skio.peachnet.edu

Paffenhofer, G, A, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Savannah, GA, USA,

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION RATES OF THE DOLIOLID, DOLIOLETTA GEGENBAURI ULJANIN (TUNICATA, THALIACEA)

Doliolids are abundant in numerous regions of the coastal ocean, but data on rates of asexual reproduction are scarce. The objectives were to quantify asexual reproduction rates of Dolioletta gegenbauri phorozooids at 4 food concentrations and 4 temperatures in order to determine their impact as producers throughout the water column. Laboratory experiments were conducted at 20C over food concentrations of 7, 20, 60, and 160 mg C/l of Thalassiosira weissflogii and Rhodomonas sp., and at 60mg C/l at 16.5, 20, 23.5, 26.5C, to quantify the phorozooid release rates of gonozooids, reproductive longevity, and the amount of carbon released per day and over the lifespan. Results from experiments at 20C and food concentrations from 7 to 160 mg C/l showed that release rates significantly increased from 2 to 11 gonozooids/d. Release rates remained the same as the temperature increased from 16.5 to 26.5C at phytoplankton concentration of 60 mg C/l. These results suggest that food concentration and temperature affects phorozooid release rates, reproductive longevity, the size of gonozooids released, and the amount of carbon released asexually.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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