ABSTRACT: Understanding the multifaceted nature of environmental fluctuations is crucial to predicting the physiological adjustments utilised by organisms in resisting or adapting to changes over time. Here we investigate the effects of 2 environmental stressors on tunicates, whose fitness can have important repercussions on the quality of habitat. Specifically, we report respiration rate (RR), clearance rate (CR), and assimilation efficiency (AE) of the ascidian Styela plicata in response to a range of temperatures and varying food availability. Temperature-dependent RR was observed only within a portion of the thermal window of the species. Significant differences in clearance rates were detected among organisms fed with varying algal concentrations, while no significant influence of food concentrations on AE was observed. This plasticity of the physiological rates and the development of ubiquitous mechanisms such as temperature-insensitive aerobic metabolism suggest a competitive advantage of this group. Such knowledge may allow for more accurate predictions of the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms driving current and future distribution of this species.

中文翻译：

---

被膜的热适应和对环境压力的生理响应

摘要：了解环境波动的多方面性质对于预测生物体抵抗或适应随时间变化的生理调节至关重要。在这里，我们研究了2种环境压力因素对被膜的影响，其适应性可能会对栖息地的质量产生重要影响。具体来说，我们报告了海StStyela plicata的呼吸率（RR），清除率（CR）和同化效率（AE）以适应各种温度和食物供应的变化。仅在物种的热窗的一部分内观察到温度相关的RR。在饲喂不同藻类浓度的生物之间，清除率有显着差异，而未观察到食物浓度对AE的显着影响。这种生理速率的可塑性和普遍存在的机制（例如对温度不敏感的有氧代谢）的发展表明了该组的竞争优势。这样的知识可以允许更准确地预测驱动该物种当前和未来分布的生理和进化机制。