Limited growth and recruitment of <italic style="font-style: italic">Oikopleura dioica </italic>(Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China

Shuai LI; Mengtan LIU; Aiyong WAN; Zhiqiang XU; Shiwei WANG; Yi LIANG; Zengxia ZHAO; Guangtao ZHANG

doi:10.1007/s00343-025-5035-y

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China

Ecology | Updated：2026-03-26

- Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China
- Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China
- 海洋湖沼学报(英文) 2026年44卷第1期页码：234-250
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Jiaozhou Bay National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
  2.Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
  3.Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
  4.Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Author bio：
  
  gtzhang@qdio.ac.cn
- Funds：
  
  the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2023YFC3108205;2023YFC3108201);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42306153)
- DOI：10.1007/s00343-025-5035-y
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-01-28，
  
  录用：2025-03-21，
  
  网络首发：2025-04-01，
  
  纸质出版：2026-01-01
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Shuai LI, Mengtan LIU, Aiyong WAN, 等. Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China[J]. 海洋湖沼学报(英文), 2026,44(1):234-250.

LI Shuai,LIU Mengtan,WAN Aiyong,et al.Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China[J].Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2026,44(01):234-250.
Shuai LI, Mengtan LIU, Aiyong WAN, 等. Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China[J]. 海洋湖沼学报(英文), 2026,44(1):234-250. DOI： 10.1007/s00343-025-5035-y.

LI Shuai,LIU Mengtan,WAN Aiyong,et al.Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China[J].Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2026,44(01):234-250. DOI： 10.1007/s00343-025-5035-y.

摘要

Abstract

Pelagic appendicularians

known for their rapid bloom capability

are important secondary producers and play essential roles in marine ecosystems. To assess the environmental adaptation of the most common appendicularian species

Oikopleura

dioica

in Jiaozhou Bay

Shandong

China

its annual variations in abundance and body size were investigated monthly at 12 stations in 2011

and the relationship between somatic growth and gonadal development was compared with previously published labora

tory data.

Oikopleura

dioica

exhibited distinct seasonal abundance patterns

peaking in summer and autumn

particularly in the inner bay

reflecting its adaptation to the eutrophic conditions and high food availability. Compared to laboratory results

dioica

in Jiaozhou Bay exhibited shorter body lengths

smaller gonad volumes

and earlier maturation at reduced body sizes

despite high natural chlorophyll-

concentration

suggesting that factors beyond food availability

such as resource competition and environmental stressors

may limit its growth in natural settings. Correlation analysis indicated that the somatic growth of natural

dioica

was primarily influenced by temperature

while gonadal development was related to chlorophyll-

concentration

and its population abundance was linked to food availability and the abundance of other zooplankton

such as copepods and jellyfish. It was suggested that the growth and recruitment of

dioica

were constrained by resource limitations in natural environments

further exacerbated by interactions with other zooplankton

including predation and competition. This study provides valuable data on the mechanisms underlying bio-environmental interactions and their spatiotemporal variations

offering critical insights into the ecological roles of appendicularians in marine ecosystems.

关键词

Keywords

references

Acuña J L , Anadón R . 1992 . Appendicularian assemblages in a shelf area and their relationship with temperature . Journal of Plankton Research , 14 ( 9 ): 1233 - 1250 , https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/14.9.1233 https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/14.9.1233 .

Acuña J L , Kiefer M . 2000 . Functional response of the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica . Limnology and Oceanography , 45 ( 3 ): 608 - 618 , https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2000.45.3.0608 https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2000.45.3.0608 .

Alldredge A L , Madin L P . 1982 . Pelagic tunicates: unique herbivores in the marine plankton . BioScience , 32 ( 8 ): 655 - 663 , https://doi.org/10.2307/1308815 https://doi.org/10.2307/1308815 .

Alldredge A L . 2005 . The contribution of discarded appendicularian houses to the flux of particulate organic carbon from ocean surface waters . In: Gorsky G eds . Response of Marine Ecosystems to Global Change : Ecological Impact of Appendicularians. GB Scientific, Paris, France. p . 309 - 326 .

Bedo A W , Acuña J L , Robins D et al . 1993 . Grazing in the micron and the sub-micron particle size range: the case of Oikopleura dioica (Appendicularia) . Bulletin of Marine Science , 53 ( 1 ): 2 - 14 .

Bochdansky A B , Deibel D . 1999 . Functional feeding response and behavioral ecology of Oikopleura vanhoeffeni (Appendicularia, Tunicata) . Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology , 233 ( 2 ): 181 - 211 , https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-0981(98)00109-9 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-0981(98)00109-9 .

Bouquet J M , Spriet E , Troedsson C et al . 2009 . Cult ure optimization for the emergent zooplanktonic model organism Oikopleura dioica . Journal of Plankton Research , 31 ( 4 ): 359 - 370 , https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbn132 https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbn132 .

Deibel D , Lowen B . 2012 . A review of the life cycles and life-history adaptations of pelagic tunicates to environmental conditions . ICES Journal of Marine Science , 69 ( 3 ): 358 - 369 , https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsr159 https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsr159 .

Deibel D . 1998 . Feeding and metabolism of Appendicularia . In: Bone Q ed. The Biology of Pelagic Tunicates . Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. p. 139 - 150 , https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198540243.003.0008 https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198540243.003.0008 .

Demidov A A , Baulin E V . 1995 . Determination of chlorophyll a and ph eophytin a concentrations in acetone extracts by laser fluorometry . Applied Spectroscopy , 49 ( 2 ): 200 - 206 , http://doi.org/10.1366/0003702953963715 http://doi.org/10.1366/0003702953963715 .

Fenaux R , Bone Q , Deibel D . 1998 . Appendicularian distribution and zoogeography . In: Bone Q ed. The Biology of Pelagic Tunicates . Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. p. 251 - 264 , https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198540243.003.0015 https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198540243.003.0015 .

Fenaux R . 1985 . Rhythm of secretion of Oikopleurid’s houses . Bulletin of Marine Science , 37 ( 2 ): 498 - 503 .

Fernández D , López-Urrutia Á , Fernández A et al . 2004 . Retention efficiency of 0.2 to 6 µm particles by the appendicularians Oikopleura dioica and Fritillaria borealis . Marine Ecology Progress Series , 266 : 89 - 101 , https://doi.org/10.3354/meps266089 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps266089 .

Gorsky G , Chrétiennot-Dinet M J , Blanchot J et al . 1999 . Picoplankton and nanoplankton aggregation by appendicularians: fecal pellet contents of Megalocercus huxleyi in the equatorial Pacific . Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans , 104 ( C2 ): 3381 - 3390 , https://doi.org/10.1029/98JC01850 https://doi.org/10.1029/98JC01850 .

Hansen J L S , Kiørboe T , Alldredge A L . 1996 . Marine snow derived from abandoned larvacean houses: sinking rates, particle content and mechanisms of aggregate formation . Marine Ecology Progress Series , 141 : 205 - 215 , https://doi.org/10.3354/meps141205 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps141205 .

Harbison G R , McAlister V L , Gilmer R W . 1986 . The response of the salp, Pegea confoederata , to high levels of particulate material: starvation in the midst of plenty . Limnology and Oceanography , 31 ( 2 ): 371 - 382 , https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1986.31.2.0371 https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1986.31.2.0371 .

Harris R , Wiebe P , Jürgen L et al . 2000 . Contributors . In: ICES Zooplankton Methodology Manual . Academic Press , London . p .xvii-xviii, B978- 012327645 - 2 /50000-1. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012327645-2/50000-1 https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012327645-2/50000-1 .

Hoover R S , Hoover D , Miller M et al . 2006 . Zooplankton response to storm runoff in a tropical estuary: bottom-up and top-down controls . Marine Ecology Progress Series , 318 : 187 - 201 , https://doi.org/10.3354/meps318187 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps318187 .

Hopcroft R R , Roff J C , Bouman H A . 1998 . Zooplankton growth rates: the larvaceans Appendicularia , Fritillaria and Oikopleura in tropical waters . Journal of Plankton Research , 20 ( 3 ): 539 - 555 , https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/20.3.539 https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/20.3.539 .

King K R , Hollibaugh J T , Azam F . 1980 . Predator-prey interactions between the larvacean Oikopleura dioica and bacterioplankton in enclosed water columns . Marine Biology , 56 ( 1 ): 49 - 57 , https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390593 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390593 .

Kiϕrboe T , Titelman J . 1998 . Feeding, prey selection and prey encounter mechanisms in the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans . Journal of Plankton Research , 20 ( 8 ): 1615 - 1636 , https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/20.8.1615 https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/20.8.1615 .

Last J M . 1978 . The food of four species of pleuronectiform larvae in the eastern English Channel and southern North Sea . Marine Biology , 45 ( 4 ): 359 - 368 , https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391822 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391822 .

Li S , Zhang G T , Zhao Z X . 2020 . Growth performance of Oikopleura dioica during flood seasons in Jiaozhou Bay: implications on early maturation favored rapid response to environmental fluctuation. Regional Studies in Marine Science , 35 : 101124 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101124 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101124 .

Liu S M , Zhang J , Chen H T et al . 2005 . Factors influencing nutrient dynamics in the eutrophic Jiaozhou Bay, North China . Progress in Oceanography , 66 ( 1 ): 66 - 85 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2005.03.009 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2005.03.009 .

Lobón C M , Acuña J L , López-Álvarez M et al . 2011 . Heritability of morphological and life history traits in a pelagic tunicate . Marine Ecology Progress Series , 422 : 145 - 154 , https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08923 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08923 .

Lobón C M , Bouquet J M , Reeve M et al . 2013 . Response of the pelagic tunicate appendicularian, Oikopleura dioica to controlled simulations of a strong bloom condition: a bottom-up perspective . Limnology and Oceanography , 58 ( 1 ): 215 - 226 , https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2013.58.1.0215 https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2013.58.1.0215 .

Lombard F , Renaud F , Sainsbury C et al . 2009a . Appendicularian ecophysiology I: food concentration dependent clearance rate, assimilation efficiency, growth and reproduction of Oikopleura dioica . Journal of Marine Systems , 78 ( 4 ): 606 - 616 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2009.01.004 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2009.01.004 .

Lombard F , Sciandra A , Gorsky G . 2009b . Appendicularian ecophysiology. II. Modeling nutrition, metabolism, growth and reproduction of the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica . Journal of Marine Systems , 78 ( 4 ): 617 - 629 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2009.01.005 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2009.01.005 .

López-Urrutia Á , Acuña J L , Irigoien X et al . 2003 . Food limitation and growth in temperate epipelagic appendicularians (Tunicata) . Marine Ecology Progress Series , 252 : 143 - 157 , https://doi.org/10.3354/meps252143 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps252143 .

López-Urrutia Á , Harris R P , Smith T . 2004 . Predation by calanoid copepods on the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica . Limnology and Oceanography , 49 ( 1 ): 303 - 307 , https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2004.49.1.0303 https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2004.49.1.0303 .

Martí-Solans J , Ferrández-Roldán A , Godoy-Marín H et al . 2015 . Oikopleura dioica culturing made easy: a low-cost facility for an emerging animal model in EvoDevo . Genesis , 53 ( 1 ): 183 - 193 , https://doi.org/10.1002/dvg.22800 https://doi.org/10.1002/dvg.22800 .

Nakamura Y , Suzuki K , Suzuki S Y et al . 1997 . Production of Oikopleura dioica (Appendicularia) following a picoplankton ‘bloom’ in a eutrophic coastal area . Journal of Plankton Research , 19 ( 1 ): 113 - 124 , https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/19.1.113 https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/19.1.113 .

Nakamura Y . 1998 . Blooms of tunicates Oikopleura spp. and Dolioletta gegenbauri in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, during summer . Hydrobiologia , 385 ( 1 ): 183 - 192 , https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003531812536 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003531812536 .

Purcell J E , Sturdevant M V , Galt C P . 2005 . A review of appendicularians as prey of fish and invertebrate predators . In: Gorsky G eds . Response of Marine Ecosystems to Global Change : Ecological Impact of Appendicularians. GB Scientific, Paris, France. p . 359 - 435 .

Quevedo M , Gonzalez-Quiros R , Anadon R . 1999 . Evidence of heavy predation by Noctiluca scintillans on Acartia clausi (Copepoda) eggs off the central Cantabrian coast (NW Spain) . Oceanologica Acta , 22 ( 1 ): 127 - 131 , https://doi.org/10.1016/S0399-1784(99)80039-5 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0399-1784(99)80039-5 .

Robison B H , Reisenbichler K R , Sherlock R E . 2005 . Giant larvacean houses: rapid carbon transport to the deep sea floor . Science , 308 ( 5728 ): 1609 - 1611 , https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1109104 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1109104 .

Ryland J S . 1964 . The feeding of plaice and sand-eel larvae in the southern North Sea . Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , 44 ( 2 ): 343 - 364 , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400024875 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400024875 .

Sato R , Tanaka Y , Ishimaru T . 2001 . House production by Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata, Appendicularia) under laboratory conditions . Journal of Plankton Research , 23 ( 4 ): 415 - 423 , https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/23.4.415 https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/23.4.415 .

Sato R , Tanaka Y , Ishimaru T . 2003 . Species-specific house productivity of appendicularians . Marine Ecology Progress Series , 259 : 163 - 172 , https://doi.org/d10.3354/meps259163 https://doi.org/d10.3354/meps259163 .

Sato R , Tanaka Y , Ishimaru T . 2005 . Clearance and ingestion rates of three appendicularian species, Oikopleura longicauda , O . rufescens and O . fusiformis . In: Gorsky G eds . Response of Marine Ecosystems to Global Change : Ecological Impact of Appendicularians. GB Scientific, Paris, France. p . 189 - 205 .

Shanks A , Walters K . 1996 . Feeding by a heterotrophic dinoflagellate ( Noctiluca scintillans ) in marine snow . Limnology and Oceanography , 41 ( 1 ): 177 - 181 , https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1996.41.1.0177 https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1996.41.1.0177 .

Shelbourne J E . 1962 . A predator-prey size relationship for plaice larvae feeding on Oikopleura . Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , 42 ( 2 ): 243 - 252 , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400001326 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400001326 .

Shen Z L . 2001 . Historical changes in nutrient structure and its influences on phytoplantkon composition in Jiaozhou Bay . Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science , 52 ( 2 ): 211 - 224 , https://doi.org/10.1006/ecss.2000.0736 https://doi.org/10.1006/ecss.2000.0736 .

Shiganova T . 2005 . Changes in appendicularian Oikopleura dioica abundance caused by invasion of alien ctenophores in the Black Sea . Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , 85 ( 3 ): 477 - 494 , https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315405011410 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315405011410 .

Sommer F , Hansen T , Feuchtmayr H et al . 2003 . Do calanoid copepods suppress appendicularians in the coastal ocean? Journal of Plankton Research , 25 ( 7 ): 869 - 871 , https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/25.7.869 https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/25.7.869 .

Stibor H , Vadstein O , Lippert B et al . 2004 . Calanoid copepods and nutrient enrichment determine population dynamics of the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica : a mesocosm experiment . Marine Ecology Progress Series , 270 : 209 - 215 , https://doi.org/10.3354/meps270209 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps270209 .

Sun S , Sun X X . 2015 . Theory and Practice of Bay Ecosystems: A Case Study of Jiaozhou Bay. Science Press, Beijing, China . (in Chinese)

Sun S , Zhou K , Yang B et al . 2008 . Ecology of zooplankton in the Jiaozhou Bay I. species composition . Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica , 39 ( 1 ): 1 - 7 . (in Chinese with English abstract)

Tada K , Pithakpol S , Montani S . 2004 . Seasonal variation in the abundance of Noctiluca scintillans in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan . Plankton Biology and Ecology , 51 ( 1 ): 7 - 14 .

Troedsson C , Bouquet J , Aksnes D L et al . 2002 . Resource allocation between somatic growth and reproductive output in the pelagic cho rdate Oikopleura dioica allows opportunistic response to nutritional variation . Marine Ecology Progress Series , 243 : 83 - 91 , https://doi.org/10.3354/meps243083 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps243083 .

Uye S I , Ichino S . 1995 . Seasonal variations in abundance, size composition, biomass and production rate of Oikopleura dioica (Fol) (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in a temperate eutrophic inlet . Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology , 189 ( 1-2 ): 1 - 11 , https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(95)00004-B https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(95)00004-B .

Uye S I , Kaname K . 1994 . Relations between fecal pellet volume and body size for major zooplankters of the Inland Sea of Japan . Journal of Oceanography , 50 ( 1 ): 43 - 49 , https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233855 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02233855 .

Welschmeyer N A . 1994 . Fluorometric analysis of chlorophyll a in the presence of chlorophyll b and pheopigments . Limnology and Oceanography , 39 ( 8 ): 1985 - 1992 , https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1994.39.8.1985 https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1994.39.8.1985 .

浏览量

Downloads

CSCD

文章被引用时，请邮件提醒。

Submit

工具集

关联资源

Long-term dynamics of net-phytoplankton community under environmental drivers in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Sexual differences in the non-predatory mortality of Copepoda Oithona similis Claus, 1866: evidence from the death proportion in Jiaozhou Bay

Compositional characteristics of sediment from Jiaozhou Bay in North China and the implication to the provenance

Establishing environmental background values of selected trace elements and environmental quality assessment of fine-grained sediments in the Jiaozhou Bay catchment, China

Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China

Limited growth and recruitment of Oikopleura dioica (Tunicata: Appendicularia) in the Jiaozhou Bay, China

DOI：10.1007/s00343-025-5035-y

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references