Pyrosomes are colonial tunicates that form gelatinous tubes and occasionally produce bioluminescent swarms. The rapid “bloom-bust” dynamics of pyrosomes have the potential to outcompete other zooplankton, restructure marine food webs, enhance carbon export, and interfere with human activities. Pyrosomes have been recorded for at least two centuries, yet much remains unknown about their physiology, bloom mechanisms, and ecosystem impacts. Recent bloom reports prompt the question of whether frequencies or densities are increasing, and whether potential population changes are caused by ocean change. This review clarifies current information on pyrosome biology and ecology and explores apparent contradictions in habitat preferences and diel vertical migration (DVM). We posit that the dominant species, Pyrosoma atlanticum, may preferentially inhabit waters below 18°C and alter its DVM activity to maintain overall body temperature near this threshold. Expanding our knowledge of pyrosomes is needed to facilitate their inclusion in ecosystem models and forecasts of future population distributions.

中文翻译：

---

对火体的全球回顾：揭示海洋中难以捉摸的凝胶状“火体”

火体虫是群落被囊动物，形成凝胶状管，偶尔会产生生物发光群。火体的快速“繁荣-萧条”动态有可能超越其他浮游动物、重组海洋食物网、增强碳输出并干扰人类活动。火体虫的记录已有至少两个世纪的历史，但其生理学、水华机制和生态系统影响仍然未知。最近的水华报告提出了这样的问题：频率或密度是否正在增加，以及潜在的种群变化是否是由海洋变化引起的。这篇综述阐明了火体生物学和生态学的最新信息，并探讨了栖息地偏好和昼夜垂直迁移（DVM）之间的明显矛盾。我们假设优势种，Pyrosoma atlanticum，可能优先栖息于低于 18°C 的水域，并改变其 DVM 活性以将整体体温维持在该阈值附近。需要扩大我们对火体的了解，以促进将其纳入生态系统模型和未来种群分布的预测中。