earth science

Pyrosoma atlanticum

Pyrosoma atlanticum is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pyrosoma atlanticum rather than just read about it. In short: Pyrosoma atlanticum is a pelagic species of marine colonial tunicate in the class Thaliacea found in temperate waters worldwide. The name of the genus comes from the Greek words pyros meaning 'fire' and soma meaning 'body', referring to the bright bioluminescence sometimes emitted.

Key takeaways

Pyrosoma atlanticum belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pyrosoma atlanticum to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pyrosoma atlanticum from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Pyrosoma atlanticum is a pelagic species of marine colonial tunicate in the class Thaliacea found in temperate waters worldwide. The name of the genus comes from the Greek words pyros meaning 'fire' and soma meaning 'body', referring to the bright bioluminescence sometimes emitted. The specific epithet atlanticum refers to the Atlantic Ocean, from where the first specimen of the species was collected for scientific description; it was described in 1804 by François Péron, a French naturalist.

Description

A colony of P. atlanticum is cylindrical and can grow up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) long and 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) wide. The constituent zooids form a rigid tube, which may be pale pink, yellowish, or bluish. One end of the tube is narrower and is closed, while the other is open and has a strong diaphragm. The outer surface or test is gelatinised and dimpled with backward-pointing, blunt processes. The individual zooids are up to 8.5 mm (0.33 in) long and have a broad, rounded branchial sac with gill slits. Along the side of the branchial sac runs the endostyle, which produces mucus filters. Water is moved through the gill slits into the centre of the cylinder by cilia pulsating rhythmically. Plankton and other food particles are caught in mucus filters in the processes as the colony is propelled through the water. P. atlanticum is bioluminescent and can generate a brilliant blue-green light when stimulated.

Distribution and habitat P. atlanticum is found in temperate waters in all the world's oceans, usually between 50°N and 50°S. It is most plentiful at depths below 250 m (800 ft). Colonies are pelagic and move through the water column. They undergo a large diurnal migration, rising toward the surface in the evening and descending around dawn. Large colonies may rise through a vertical distance of 760 m (2,500 ft) daily, and even small colonies a few millimetres long can cover vertical distances of 90 m (300 ft).

Biology A study in the Indian Ocean comparing different zooplankton organisms found that colonies of P. atlanticum were the most efficient grazers of particles above 10 μm in diameter, catching a higher proportion of the particles than other grazers. This implies the species uses high biomass intake as a strategy, rather than investing in energy-conservation mechanisms. Growth occurs by new rings of zooids being budded off around the edge of the elongating colony. A pair of luminescent organs is on either side of the inlet siphon of each zooid. When stimulated, these turn on and off, causing rhythmic flashing. No neural pathway runs between the zooids, but each responds to the light produced by other individuals, and even by light from other nearby colonies. P. atlanticum remains as one of the least studied planktonic grazers, according to a 2021 study. In the study, the researchers took samples of the pyrosome's microbiome. The results of the study found that a possible source of bioluminescence in P. atlanticum is the abundance of Photobacterium in its microbiome. However, there is still debate, as a 2020 study found a potential endogenous pyrosome luciferase in the organism's transcriptome homologous to Renilla luciferase (RLuc). Further study of the luciferase showed that it reacted with coelenterazine to produce light, much like RLuc.

Ecology Five specimens of the penaeid shrimp Funchalia were found living inside colonies of P. atlanticum. Other amphipods also lived there, including the hyperiids Phronima and Phronimella spp. Predators of P. atlanticum include various bony fishes, such as the spiky oreo, the big-eyed cardinalfish, and the pelagic butterfish, dolphins, and whales such as the sperm whale and giant beaked whale.

Synonyms

The following synonyms have been noted:

Dipleurosoma ellipticum Brooks, 1906 – genus transfer and junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum dipleurosoma Metcalf & Hopkins, 1919 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum echinatum Metcalf & Hopkins, 1919 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum f. elegans Lesueur, 1815 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum hawaiiense Metcalf & Hopkins, 1919 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum intermedium Metcalf & Hopkins, 1919 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum paradoxum Metcalf & Hopkins, 1919 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum triangulum Neumann, 1913 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum var. giganteum Lesueur, 1815 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum var. levatum Seeliger, 1895 – junior synonym Pyrosoma atlanticum var. tuberculosum Seeliger, 1895 – junior synonym Pyrosoma benthica Monniot C. & Monniot F., 1966 – junior synonym Pyrosoma elegans Lesueur, 1813 – junior synonym Pyrosoma ellipticum (Brooks, 1906) – junior synonym Pyrosoma giganteum Lesueur, 1815 – junior synonym Pyrosoma giganteum var. atlanticum Péron, 1804 – status change Pyrosoma rufum Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 – junior synonym Pyrosoma triangulum Neumann, 1909 – junior synonym

Illustrations

Pyrosoma atlanticum: A. side view of the entire colony; B. end view of an open extremity — A. side view of the entire colony; B. end view of an open extremity

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pyrosoma atlanticum

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pyrosoma atlanticum claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pyrosoma atlanticum before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pyrosoma atlanticum ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pyrosoma atlanticum

In research: Pyrosoma atlanticum appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pyrosoma atlanticum in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pyrosoma atlanticum is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Animals described in 1804, Bioluminescent animals, Colonial animals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pyrosoma atlanticum outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Pyrosoma atlanticum” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Pyrosoma atlanticum in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pyrosoma atlanticum means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pyrosoma atlanticum out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pyrosoma atlanticum in simple terms?

Why does Pyrosoma atlanticum matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pyrosoma atlanticum?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pyrosoma atlanticum.