Feeding patterns and predation potential of scyphomedusae in a highly productive upwelling region

We quantified diet and predation rates for large scyphomedusae from a coastal upwelling region. In the Northern California Current, early stages of euphausiids, gelatinous taxa, and cladocerans were particularly vulnerable to predation byChrysaora fuscescens,Aurelia labiata, andPhacellophora camtsch...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine ecology. Progress series (Halstenbek) 2008-04, Vol.358, p.161-172
Main Authors: Suchman, Cynthia L., Daly, Elizabeth A., Keister, Julie E., Peterson, William T., Brodeur, Richard D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aurelia labiata
Chrysaora fuscescens
Cladocera
Copepoda
Diet
Digestion
Ingestion
Jellyfishes
Marine
Medusae
Phacellophora camtschatica
Plankton
Predation
Predators
Scyphomedusae
Taxa
Upwelling water
Zooplankton
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We quantified diet and predation rates for large scyphomedusae from a coastal upwelling region. In the Northern California Current, early stages of euphausiids, gelatinous taxa, and cladocerans were particularly vulnerable to predation byChrysaora fuscescens,Aurelia labiata, andPhacellophora camtschatica, whereas copepods were not. Moreover,C. fuscescenshad the potential to deplete the standing stock of euphausiid eggs where predator and prey overlapped. During August 2002,C. fuscescensingested an average 32.5% of the standing stock of euphausiid eggs each day at stations close to shore and north of Cape Blanco (42.9° N, 126.6° W) where maximum abundances of the medusae occurred. Ingestion of other vulnerable prey, such as other early stages of euphausiids and gelatinous taxa, reached 10 to 12% d–1. In contrast, we calculated the maximum removal rate of the standing stock of copepods to be
ISSN:0171-8630
1616-1599
DOI:10.3354/meps07313