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Production and respiration of Antarctic ascidians

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Abstract.

Solitary ascidians are the most abundant group of mega-epibenthic animals below 20 m in Potter Cove, King George Island. The present work deals with aspects of growth and respiration to explain this dominance. High growth rates and longevity (maximum ages between 3.1 and 10.6 years) make them effective colonisers after destructive events. Low basal metabolism (between 0.023 and 0.057 ml O2 h–1 per g ash-free dry mass, T=1°C) elevates the scope for growth. These properties, together with other factors, allow these animals to tolerate disturbances better than other filter-feeding groups.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Columbusstrasse, 27515 Bremerhaven, Germany, , , , ,

    Jens Kowalke & Wolf Arntz

  2. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Cátedra de Anatomía Comparada, Avenida Vélez Sársfield 299, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina, , , , ,

    Marcos Tatián & Ricardo Sahade

Authors
  1. Jens Kowalke
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  2. Marcos Tatián
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  3. Ricardo Sahade
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  4. Wolf Arntz
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Kowalke, J., Tatián, M., Sahade, R. et al. Production and respiration of Antarctic ascidians. Polar Biol 24, 663–669 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000100266

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000100266

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