Range Expansion Of Tropical Pyrosomes In The Northeast Pacific Ocean Ecology

Pyrosomes are colonial pelagic tunicates that have fascinated marine biologists for over a century. Their name comes from the “fiery” bioluminescence that luminous organs produce at night time. Blooms of pyrosomes, identified as Pyrosoma atlanticum (Peron, 1804), have recently appeared in the North Pacific Ocean (Fig. 1), prompting questions about environmental factors that triggered their appearance and persistence over multiple seasons as well as potential ecosystem impacts.

火体虫（Pyrosomes）是一类群居性浮游被囊动物，百余年来一直深受海洋生物学家的关注。其名称源于体内发光器官在夜间所产生的“炽热”生物发光。近期在北太平洋海域被记录的大西洋火体虫（Pyrosoma atlanticum，Peron, 1804）种群暴发现象（图1），引发了诸多科学疑问：究竟是哪些环境因素触发了它们的出现，并支撑其在多个季节持续存续？此类火体虫种群暴发又可能对海洋生态系统造成哪些潜在影响？