A native species to the European ocean, the tunicate Ciona intestinalis now appears worldwide, from sub-Arctic to tropical regions. C. intestinalis generally occurs as an opportunistic fouling organism on artificial substrates in harbors or aquaculture. This study focused on estimating the early growth pattern of C. intestinalis under various temperature conditions. Adults were collected from the Guryungpo harbour in November 2017, and their artificially inseminated eggs were used for the study. The growth of the C. intestinalis was investigated at 8 constant temperatures, ranging from 12°C to 26°C, at 30 psu. Results indicate that the growth of C. intestinalis increased with increasing temperature. The growth was sluggish at 12°C, and decreased at 26°C. The optimal temperature for growth of C. intestinalis was therefore estimated to be between 20°C and 24°C.

• 김동건 | Dong Gun Kim
• 박주언(삼육대학교 스미스교양대학) | Ju Un Park (Smith Liberal Arts College, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Republic of Korea)
• 김동현(삼육대학교 스미스교양대학) | Dong Hyun Kim (Smith Liberal Arts College, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Republic of Korea)
• 윤태중(삼육대학교 스미스교양대학) | Tae Joong Yoon (Smith Liberal Arts College, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Republic of Korea)
• 신숙(삼육대학교 스미스교양대학) | Sook Shin (Smith Liberal Arts College, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Republic of Korea) Corresponding author