Biol. Bull. Sign up for etocs!
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Holyoak, A. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Holyoak, A. R.

The Biological Bulletin, Vol 192, Issue 1 87-97, Copyright © 1997 by Marine Biological Laboratory

ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

Patterns and Consequences of Whole Colony Growth in the Compound Ascidian Polyclinum planum

A. R. Holyoak
Department of Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064

The size and shape of colony-forming modular animals can convey ecological advantages, but many patterns and consequences of colony-level growth are not well understood. I carried out a longitudinal study on an intertidal population of the pedunculate ascidian Polyclinum planum to determine the patterns and consequences of its colony growth. I found that each P. planum colony is a nonfragmenting genet, and that colony size is limited by water-flow forces and reproductive state. P. planum mitigates the effects of water-flow forces by having an attenuating pattern of growth and by producing a laterally flattened, zooid-bearing lobe atop its tough flexible peduncle. Growth slows as the colony nears a size limit set by the environment and as it becomes reproductively active. The laterally flattened lobe allows colonies to increase their surface-to-volume ratio, to house increased numbers of zooids (thereby increasing reproductive potential), and to minimize the effects of the acceleration reaction of water. P. planum's growth pattern fits predictions for colonies living in wave- or surge-impacted environments. The growth of P. planum provides insight into how indeterminate modular growth conveys ecological and reproductive advantage, even amidst a physically stressful environment.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Biol. Bull.Home page
H. R. Lasker, M. L. Boller, J. Castanaro, and J. A. Sanchez
Determinate Growth and Modularity in a Gorgonian Octocoral
Biol. Bull., December 1, 2003; 205(3): 319 - 330.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1997 by the Marine Biological Laboratory.