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Dolioletta

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Dolioletta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Tunicata
Class: Thaliacea
Order: Doliolida
Family: Doliolidae
Genus: Dolioletta
Borgert, 1894 [1]
Species

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Dolioletta is a genus of tunicates in the family Doliolidae.

Characteristics

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Members of the genus Dolioletta are transparent, gelatinous barrel-shaped animals, usually less than one centimetre long. They move in jerks by contracting the circular bands of muscle in their body wall sharply.[2]

Biology

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They have the complex life cycle typical of the doliolids, with alternating sexual and asexual phases. They use a net of mucus strands to efficiently trap phytoplankton floating past. They both grow fast and multiply rapidly and a single animal is capable of forming thousands of new individuals in a few days. They sometimes form dense swarms with up to 500 individuals per square metre.[2]

Species

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The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dolioletta Borgert, 1894 World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
  2. ^ a b Dolioletta Archived May 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine JelliesZone. Retrieved 2011-11-17.