Megalodicopia hians in the Monterey submarine canyon: Distribution,larval development,and culture |
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| Institution: | 1. Ru?er Boskovic Institute, Center for Marine Research, Giordano Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia;2. Juraj Dobrila University, 52100 Pula, Croatia;1. Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Information Analysis and Tumor Diagnosis & Treatment, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, No. 182 Minyuan Road, Wuhan 430074, China;2. General Surgery 1 Department, The Second Hospital of Yichang City, No. 21 XiLing First Street, Yichang 443000,China;3. School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, No. 947 Heping Avenue, Wuhan 430081, China |
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| Abstract: | The exclusively deep-sea ascidian family Octacnemidae comprises several genera in which the oral siphon has hypertrophied to form two large lips which create an “oral hood” capable of capturing motile prey. Megalodicopia hians is typical of this carnivorous family and has been reported to prey upon small epibenthic crustaceans. Distribution of M. hians in the Monterey Canyon system (36°45′N, 122°00′W) (California) was determined with remotely operated vehicles. M. hians was found sparsely to depths of at least 3800 m throughout the canyon; however, abundance was greatest within the oxygen-minimum zone (400–800 m). Eggs, sperm, and recently fertilized embryos were obtained repeatedly from adults returned to the laboratory in vivo, indicating that this species free-spawns routinely. Overall egg diameter (ovum plus chorion, plus follicle cells) was 175–190 μm—considerably smaller than previously reported for this species. Embryonic development at temperature and oxygen concentrations equivalent to the oxygen-minimum zone was 2–4 d and, embryos gave rise to typical phlebobranch “simple” tadpole larvae. Larval period was extremely variable, and settlement/metamorphosis occurred up to 3 months post-hatching. These results are discussed within the context of settlement-site selection and fertilization ecology of the species. |
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