Bathochordaeus, the giant larvaceans, is a genus of larvacean tunicates in the family Oikopleuridae. They are free-swimming filter-feeding marine animals that build mucus bubbles. They eat tiny particles of dead or drifting organic material that float through the water column, which contribute to the oceanic carbon cycle and the accelerated transfer of carbon to the deep sea.
Description
They are much larger than other genera of larvaceans, ranging from 3 to 10 centimeters in total length, with houses reaching more than 1 meter in diameter.
Distribution
Giant larvaceans are widespread through the planet's oceans, being found in the North and South Pacific Ocean, the North and South Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Three species have been described, Bathochordaeus charon, B. mcnutti and B. stygius, all of them found in Monterey Bay.
References
External links
Bathochordaeus at WoRMS Youtube video of living animal van der Land, J. (2001). Appendicularia, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 356 Fenaux, R., Q. Bone, and D. Deibel. 1998. Appendicularian distribution and zoogeography, p. 251-264. In q. Bone [ed.], The biology of pelagic tunicates. Oxford University Press Sherlock, R.E., Walz, K.R., Schlining, K.L. et al.: Morphology, ecology, and molecular biology of a new species of giant larvacean in the eastern North Pacific: Bathochordaeus mcnutti sp. nov.; in: Mar Biol 164, 20 (2017); doi:10.1007/s00227-016-3046-0