The invisible architects: evaluating our understanding of planktonic tunicates in the Atlantic

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46357/bcnaturais.v20i2.1035

Keywords:

Urochordata, Larvacea, Ecoregion, Bibliographic review

Abstract

Appendicularia are planktonic tunicates that construct numerous gelatinous houses each day, being an important source of food and vertical carbon transport in pelagic environments. However, little is known about these organisms in the Atlantic Ocean. This study aimed to provide an overview of the current state of research of the Appendicularia class in the Atlantic southwest. For this work, we reviewed the state of the art on this group based on bibliographic surveys on academic platforms conducted between October and December 2021, resulting in the selection of 83 publications. Of these, only 13.3% corresponded to studies focused on Appendicularia, and the vast majority addressed is zooplankton. A total of 34 species were recorded in the Brazilian ecoregions, Oikopleura dioica, Oikopleura fusiformis, Oikopleura longicauda and Oikopleura rufescens represent 50% of the records. No research group focusing on Appendicularia was found in Brazil, while Argentina has a strong research group for the Southwestern Atlantic. Contrasting, is required a better data management, and enabling future research and the training of researchers focusing on the study of this class.

Author Biographies

  • Ályssa Thayna Pedrosa Cardoso, Zooplankton Laboratory. Museum of Oceanography. Federal University of Pernambuco. Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Ályssa Thayna Pedrosa Cardoso:  Conceptualization, investigation, data curation; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing; research; methodology, visualization;

  • Thaynara Raelly da Costa Silva, Plankton and Microalgae Cultivation Laboratory. Institute of Coastal Studies. Federal University of Pará. Bragança, Pará, Brazil

    Thaynara Raelly da Costa Silva: Conceptualization; writing – review and editing, visualization.

  • Elton Alex Correa da Silva, Plankton and Microalgae Cultivation Laboratory. Institute of Coastal Studies. Federal University of Pará. Bragança, Pará, Brazil

    Elton Alex Correa da Silva: Formal Analysis, methodology; software, visualization.

  • Xiomara Franchesca García Díaz, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Tropical Aquaculture (LECAT). Socio-Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ISARH). Federal Rural University of the Amazon. Belém, Pará, Brazil

    Xiomara Franchesca García Díaz: Project Administration, writing – review and editing, supervision, validation, visualization.

  • Sigrid Neumann Leitão, Zooplankton Laboratory. Museum of Oceanography. Federal University of Pernambuco. Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Sigrid Neumann Leitão: Project Administration, funding acquisition, writing – review & editing, resources, supervision, validation, visualization.

Downloads

Published

08/28/2025

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 2 (2025): Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Ciências Naturais

Section

Articles

License

Publication means fully assigning and transferring all copyrights of the manuscript to the journal. The Liability Statement and
Assignment of Copyrights will be enclosed with the notice of acceptance. All the authors must sign the document and return it to the journal.

How to Cite

Cardoso, Ályssa T. P., Silva, T. R. da C., da Silva, E. A. C., Díaz, X. F. G., & Neumann Leitão, S. (2025). The invisible architects: evaluating our understanding of planktonic tunicates in the Atlantic. Boletim Do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi - Ciências Naturais, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.46357/bcnaturais.v20i2.1035

Most read articles by the same author(s)