Oxygen consumption, metabolic enzyme activity, and dietary requirement of two mesopelagic calycophoran siphonophores.

 
Lensia_conoidea.jpg (193 bytes)

Lensia conoidea

*Lensia conoidea (mpg 4.6mb)

  

Chuniphyes multidentata 

*Chuniphyes multidentata  (mpg 4.9 mb)

*Capture sequence of  Calycophoran rocketship  (mpg 2.6 mb)
The animal first appears in the top, center portion of the screen in a fishing posture typical for this species. Then it exhibits a typical escape response as the vehicle approaches. This video has been slowed to 24 frames per second to enhance viewing. The butterfly-shaped somatocyst (a diagnostic feature) is visible in close up images of this species. First the rocketship siphonophore is centered in the camera top of the screen, between the bases of the two samplers. Then the ROV is maneuvered to lower the sampler on the left over the animal and close the lids (top lid not in view) to capture the animal.
     

These images exemplify calycophoran siphonophores described in the manuscript "Oxygen consumption, metabolic enzyme activity, and dietary requirement of two Mesopelagic Calycophoran Siphonophores", by J.M.B Silguero, currently in press in Marine Biology.

The movies and images are intended to provide a first ever published look at calycophoran ‘rocketship’ shiphonophores in situ, and to demonstrate the primary collection technique used in this study. All video was recorded with the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Ventana, deployed from the Research Vessel Point Lobos. Both vessels are owned and operated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).

Although diagnostic characteristics of the two species shown here are visible in the live video viewed at sea, all species identifications were confirmed by examining the collected animals in the lab.

Jessica M.B. Silguero, University of California department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara CA, 93106, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute1 (MBARI), 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039-0628

*Please note:  These video clips are not intended to represent the full imaging capabilities of the ROVs used by MBARI. Limitations in recording the live video transmission and condensing the images for display on the web significantly reduce the quality of these images compared to the live image, seen in the control room of the research ships.  

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