''Dolioletta'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

tunicate A tunicate is a marine invertebrate animal, a member of the subphylum Tunicata (). It is part of the Chordata, a phylum which includes all animals with dorsal nerve cords and notochords (including vertebrates). The subphylum was at one time ca ...

s in the family

Doliolidae Doliolidae is a family of tunicates in the order Doliolida. Members of the family are pelagic and often found far away from coastlines.

Characteristics

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.''Dolioletta''
JelliesZone. Retrieved 2011-11-17.

Biology

They have the complex life cycle typical of the

doliolids The Doliolida are an order of small marine animals of the subphylum Tunicata. They are in the class Thaliacea, which also includes the salps and pyrosomes. The doliolid body is small, typically 1–2 mm long, and barrel-shaped; it features ...

, with alternating sexual and asexual phases. They use a net of mucus strands to efficiently trap

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. Ph ...

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.

Species

The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species: *'' Dolioletta chuni'' (Neumann, 1906) *''

Dolioletta gegenbauri ''Dolioletta gegenbauri'' is a species of tunicate in the family Doliolidae. It is small, exists in various forms and is sometimes found in great abundance in the Atlantic and Pacific waters where it lives. Life cycle ''Dolioletta gegenbauri'' ...

'' (Uljanin, 1884) *'' Dolioletta mirabilis'' Korotneff, 1891 *'' Dolioletta tritonis'' Herdman, 1888 *''

Dolioletta valdiviae ''Dolioletta'' is a genus of tunicates in the family Doliolidae. Characteristics Members of the genus ''Dolioletta'' are transparent, gelatinous barrel-shaped animals, usually less than one centimetre long. They move in jerks by contracting the ...

'' (Neumann, 1906)

References

Thaliacea Tunicate genera {{tunicata-stub