| Bassia bassensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Hydrozoa |
| Order: | Siphonophorae |
| Family: | Abylidae |
| Genus: | Bassia L. Agassiz, 1862 [1] |
| Species: | B. bassensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Bassia bassensis | |
| Synonyms [3] [4] | |
Genus synonymy
Species synonymy
| |
Bassia is a monotypic siphonophore genus in the family Abylidae. The genus contains the single species Bassia bassensis. [5]
The species reaches body lengths of 6–8 cm. The body plan is radially symmetric around a central mouth, with a polyhedral shape bearing 4 main ridges which end in short basal teeth. The species is bioluminescent and has a bluish tint on the ridges of the nectophores and is covered in gelatinous sheets that form a "box" around the mouth. [6] As in all cnidarians, there is a single gastrovascular cavity (the coelenteron) and the mouth acts as both mouth and anus; it is surrounded by a layer of tentacles bearing nematocysts. [7]
Bassia bassensis is common in warmer and tropical waters in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, specifically around the African and Asian coasts. [8] It is common in the Humboldt Current system, [9] along with other gelatinous zooplankton off the coast of South America, where three currents mix together. The species is generally found in the top 50 meters of the epipelagic zone of the ocean. [10]
The species primarily preys on copepods in the 0.4-1.2 mm size range. [10]
Populations can be among the most abundant species of siphonophores. Abundance may be impacted by small variations in salinity and temperature, leading to great increases at temperatures below 28 degrees Celsius, and dwindling in temperatures greater than 28.5 degrees. [11] Enough food availability in the concerned areas might mitigate the negative effect of low or high salinity waters, given the positive and significant relationship between siphonophore WDV and zooplankton wet weight biomass. [12]
Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community. Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents. Consequently, they drift or are carried along by currents in the ocean, or by currents in seas, lakes or rivers.
The mesopelagiczone, also known as the middle pelagic or twilight zone, is the part of the pelagic zone that lies between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones. It is defined by light, and begins at the depth where only 1% of incident light reaches and ends where there is no light; the depths of this zone are between approximately 200 to 1,000 meters below the ocean surface.
Siphonophorae is an order within Hydrozoa, which is a class of marine organisms within the phylum Cnidaria. According to the World Register of Marine Species, the order contains 175 species thus far.
A salp or salpa is a barrel-shaped, planktonic tunicate in the family Salpidae. It moves by contracting, thereby pumping water through its gelatinous body, one of the most efficient examples of jet propulsion in the animal kingdom. The salp strains the pumped water through its internal feeding filters, feeding on phytoplankton.
Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral reefs.
A deep-sea community is any community of organisms associated by a shared habitat in the deep sea. Deep sea communities remain largely unexplored, due to the technological and logistical challenges and expense involved in visiting this remote biome. Because of the unique challenges, it was long believed that little life existed in this hostile environment. Since the 19th century however, research has demonstrated that significant biodiversity exists in the deep sea.
Solmundella is a genus of hydrozoan in the family Solmundaeginidae. It is monotypic, with the single species Solmundella bitentaculata.
The Abylidae are a family of marine invertebrates in the order Siphonophorae. They are colonial, but the colonies can superficially resemble jellyfish; although they appear to be a single organism, each specimen is actually a colony of Siphonophora.
Leucothea is a genus of ctenophores in the monotypic family Leucotheidae.
Oikopleura dioica is a species of small pelagic tunicate found in the surface waters of most of the world's oceans. It is used as a model organism in research into developmental biology.
The Diphyidae are a family of siphonophores. These are colonial siphonophores with two nectophores arranged one behind the other. The front one includes a somatocyst, while the hind one does not. The somatocyst often contains an oil droplet for buoyancy control. A nectosac in each nectophore allows the organism to swim efficiently.
Poralia is a genus of jellyfish in the family Ulmaridae. It is a monotypic genus containing a single species, Poralia rufescens. This jellyfish is pelagic, and is found in deep water in most of the world's oceans.
Bathyphysa is a genus of siphonophores with 3 species in it.
Physonectae is a suborder of siphonophores. In Japanese it is called 胞泳.
Calycophorae is a suborder of Siphonophores alongside two other suborders Physonectae and Cystonectae. This suborder includes the giant siphonophore, ; one of the longest lengthwise extant creatures (40–50m). While the Physonectae have a pneumatophore, nectophore, and a siphosome, Cystonectae lack a nectophore, and Calycophorae lack a pneumatophore. From the bell-shaped nectophores, Physonectae and Calycophorae are called Codonophores or Greek for bell-bearers. The distribution, morphology, and behaviors of Calycophorae species are vast and greatly depend on the species. Calycophoraes typically consist of two nectophores with a siphosome that have many tentacles that grow out of the siphosome. The Calycophoraes move by propelling water out of the nectophore much like how jellyfishes move. The tentacles act as fishing nets where the nematocysts on the tentacles paralyze their prey which are then later fed on. Calycophorae have three life stages, which are the larval development stage, the polygastric stage, and the eudoxid maturation stage. Each Calycophorae colony forms from one fertilized egg.
Abyla is a genus of colonial siphonophore in the subfamily Abylidae and the suborder Calycophorae. The genus contains three species and was established by Quoy and Gaimard in 1827.
Rosacea is a genus in the Prayidae. The genus contains bioluminescent species.
Stylocheilus striatus is a species of sea hare found in the Indo-pacific region living from the intertidal zone to a depth of 30 metres. Common names include lined sea hare, blue ring sea hare and furry sea hare. Mature animals can reach sizes of up to 65 mm in length and are brown in colour with blue spots. Their diet mainly consists of blue algae. They play an important role in controlling toxic blooms of the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula.
Abylopsis tetragona is a species of siphonophore in the family Abylidae.
Abyla trigona is a colonial siphonophore in the family Abylidae. It was described in 1925.