Jellyfish on the menu: mtDNA assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the Irish Sea
Localized outbreaks of jellyfish, known as blooms, cause a variety of adverse ecological and economic effects. However, fundamental aspects of their ecology remain unknown. Notably, there is scant information on the role jellyfish occupy in food webs: in many ecosystems, few or no predators are know...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.171421 |
| _version_ | 1818268463794225152 |
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| author | Philip D. Lamb Ewan Hunter John K. Pinnegar Simon Creer Richard G. Davies Martin I. Taylor |
| author_facet | Philip D. Lamb Ewan Hunter John K. Pinnegar Simon Creer Richard G. Davies Martin I. Taylor |
| author_sort | Philip D. Lamb |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Localized outbreaks of jellyfish, known as blooms, cause a variety of adverse ecological and economic effects. However, fundamental aspects of their ecology remain unknown. Notably, there is scant information on the role jellyfish occupy in food webs: in many ecosystems, few or no predators are known. To identify jellyfish consumers in the Irish Sea, we conducted a molecular gut content assessment of 50 potential predators using cnidarian-specific mtDNA primers and sequencing. We show that jellyfish predation may be more common than previously acknowledged: uncovering many previously unknown jellyfish predators. A substantial proportion of herring and whiting were found to have consumed jellyfish. Rare ingestion was also detected in a variety of other species. Given the phenology of jellyfish in the region, we suggest that the predation was probably targeting juvenile stages of the jellyfish life cycle. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T20:38:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-267b796dfa2440f48c51aa0cbe8ad1d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T20:38:54Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-267b796dfa2440f48c51aa0cbe8ad1d62022-12-22T00:12:48ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032017-01-0141110.1098/rsos.171421171421Jellyfish on the menu: mtDNA assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the Irish SeaPhilip D. LambEwan HunterJohn K. PinnegarSimon CreerRichard G. DaviesMartin I. TaylorLocalized outbreaks of jellyfish, known as blooms, cause a variety of adverse ecological and economic effects. However, fundamental aspects of their ecology remain unknown. Notably, there is scant information on the role jellyfish occupy in food webs: in many ecosystems, few or no predators are known. To identify jellyfish consumers in the Irish Sea, we conducted a molecular gut content assessment of 50 potential predators using cnidarian-specific mtDNA primers and sequencing. We show that jellyfish predation may be more common than previously acknowledged: uncovering many previously unknown jellyfish predators. A substantial proportion of herring and whiting were found to have consumed jellyfish. Rare ingestion was also detected in a variety of other species. Given the phenology of jellyfish in the region, we suggest that the predation was probably targeting juvenile stages of the jellyfish life cycle.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.171421jellyfishdietgut content analysispredation16s mtdna |
| spellingShingle | Philip D. Lamb Ewan Hunter John K. Pinnegar Simon Creer Richard G. Davies Martin I. Taylor Jellyfish on the menu: mtDNA assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the Irish Sea Royal Society Open Science jellyfish diet gut content analysis predation 16s mtdna |
| title | Jellyfish on the menu: mtDNA assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the Irish Sea |
| title_full | Jellyfish on the menu: mtDNA assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the Irish Sea |
| title_fullStr | Jellyfish on the menu: mtDNA assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the Irish Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Jellyfish on the menu: mtDNA assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the Irish Sea |
| title_short | Jellyfish on the menu: mtDNA assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the Irish Sea |
| title_sort | jellyfish on the menu mtdna assay reveals scyphozoan predation in the irish sea |
| topic | jellyfish diet gut content analysis predation 16s mtdna |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.171421 |
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