Field and Laboratory Observations on Predation and Prey Selectivity of the Scyphomedusa Chrysaora cf.caliparea in Southeast Indian Waters

Chrysaora cf.caliparea,one of the most abundant medusae species in India,seems to be an important predator in the coastal waters of Bay of Bengal.The ability of Chrysaora cf.caliparea to feed at maximum rate in high prey concentrations implies that this jellyfish can efficiently exploit dense prey patches,at least for a short period.This study presents preliminary information regarding digestion and feeding rate upon copepods in a warm water environment.The ingestion rate of the average-sized medusae Chrysaora cf.caliparea is well balanced in nature,which in turn implies that this jellyfish is tuned for optimal utilization of available prey resources.Comparison with earlier research indicates that prey escape speed is one important factor governing which prey will be captured.A full understanding of predation mechanics awaits further investigation of both predator and prey behavior.However,because of the scarcity of long-term quantitative population data most insights have to be made indirectly.Nevertheless,low abun-dance of Chrysaora cf.caliparea in the water column during summer (May 2007) and the overall annual abundance seem not to con-siderably affect the zooplankton population,especially copepods.The present work contributes to the knowledge of prey-predator relationship of the forgotten fauna in Indian waters,which is especially crucial for understanding the process of ecological recovery of coastal water environment.

Preliminarily study on the maximum handling size, prey size and species selectivity of growth hormone transgenic and non-transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio when foraging on gastropods

The present study preliminarily examined the differences in maximum handling size, prey size and species selectivity of growth hormone transgenic and non-transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio when foraging on four gastropods species( Bellamya aeruginosa, Radix auricularia, Parafossarulus sinensis and Alocinma longicornis) under laboratory conditions. In the maximum handling size trial, five fish from each age group(1-year-old and 2-year-old) and each genotype(transgenic and non-transgenic) of common carp were individually allowed to feed on B. aeruginosa with wide shell height range. The results showed that maximum handling size increased linearly with fish length, and there was no significant difference in maximum handling size between the two genotypes. In the size selection trial, three pairs of 2-year-old transgenic and non-transgenic carp were individually allowed to feed on three size groups of B. aeruginosa. The results show that the two genotypes of C. carpio favored the small-sized group over the large-sized group. In the species selection trial, three pairs of 2-year-old transgenic and non-transgenic carp were individually allowed to feed on thin-shelled B. aeruginosa and thick-shelled R. auricularia, and five pairs of 2-year-old transgenic and non-transgenic carp were individually allowed to feed on two gastropods species( P. sinensis and A. longicornis) with similar size and shell strength. The results showed that both genotypes preferred thin-shelled Radix auricularia rather than thick-shelled B. aeruginosa, but there were no significant difference in selectivity between the two genotypes when fed on P. sinensis and A. longicornis. The present study indicates that transgenic and non-transgenic C. carpio show similar selectivity of predation on the size-and species-limited gastropods. While this information may be useful for assessing the environmental risk of transgenic carp, it does not necessarily demonstrate that transgenic common carp might have lesser environmental impacts than non-transgenic carp.

Experimental clearance rate and intraguild predation of jellyfish Cyanea nozakii

Cyanea nozakii,a common jellyfish distributed in offshore China,has a complex trophic relationship with other zooplankton groups.However,few studies have reported the predation rates and prey selection patterns of C.nozakii medusae on different prey items.Research is also lacking on the intraguild predation of Aurelia coerulea(another common bloom jellyfish in offshore China)by C.nozakii.To address the knowledge gaps,the clearance rates of C.nozakii for different prey items,including copepods(small<1000μm and large>1000μm),fish larvae,and gelatinous prey(hydromedusae,A.coerulea ephyrae,and chaetognaths),were measured.The influence of predator size on the clearance rate was also determined.Additionally,we examined the intraguild predation of C.nozakii on A.coerulea medusae.The clearance rates of C.nozakii varied widely with prey organisms,being independent of prey concentrations.Gelatinous organisms,except for chaetognaths,were captured with considerably high efficiency,followed by fish larvae and copepods,indicating the preferential prey selection of gelatinous organisms by C.nozakii.The clearance rate increased linearly with the cross-sectional area of C.nozakii.Body size in medusae may,to some extents,underpin their capacity to capture more prey by increasing the encounter rate and capture success through ontogeny.C.nozakii preyed voraciously on A.coerulea in high feeding efficiency,but the clearance rate decreased with increasing A.coerulea(as prey)size.This phenomenon of intraguild predation suggests a speculative hypothesis of potential population regulation of A.coerulea by C.nozakii.The information regarding the feeding ecology of C.nozakii reported in this study is important for understanding plankton dynamics in marine ecosystems with extensive occurrences of this jellyfish.

Inter-individual variation in provisioning rate,prey size and number,and links to total prey biomass delivered to nestlings in the Collared Flycatcher(Ficedula albicollis)

Background:In bird species where offspring growth and survival rely on parents’food provisioning,parents can maximise their fitness by increasing the quantity and/or the quality of preys delivered to their offspring.Many studies have focused on inter-individual variation in feeding rate,yet this measure may not accurately reflect the total amount of food(i.e.energy)provided by parents if there is large variation in the quantity and quality of preys at each feeding.Here,we explored the relative role of individual(sex,age,body condition),breeding(hatching date,brood size)and environmental(temperature)factors on feeding rate,prey number,size and quality,and their contribution to total prey biomass delivered to the nestlings of 164 Collared Flycatcher(Ficedula albicollis)parents in 98 nests.Results:Preys delivered to the nest were mainly larvae(53.6%)and flying insects(45.6%).Feeding rate increased with brood size and age,and was higher in males than females.Mean prey number decreased,but mean prey size increased,as the season progressed and parents feeding their brood with primary larvae brought more preys per visit.Relationships between feeding rate,mean prey number and size remained when taking into account the provision-ing quality:parents brought either a large number of small prey or a small number of larger items,and the force of the trade-offs between feeding rate and mean prey number and size depended on the quality of the provisioning of the parents.Whatever the percentage of larvae among preys in the provisioning,the variance in total prey biomass was foremost explained by feeding rate(65.1%to 76.6%)compared to mean prey number(16.4%to 26%)and prey size(2.7%to 4%).Conclusions:Our study shows that variation in feeding rate,prey number,size,but not quality(i.e.percentage of lar-vae),were influenced by individual factors(sex and age)and breeding decisions(brood size and timing of breeding)and that,whatever the provisioning strategy adopted,feeding rate was the best proxy of the total biomass delivered to the nestlings.

Experimental clearance rates of Aurelia coerulea ephyrae and medusae,and the predation impact on zooplankton in Jiaozhou Bay

The population explosion of jellyfish Aurelia coerulea occurred in Jiaozhou Bay,China in 2009.The potential predation impact of A.coerulea on zooplankton was investigated.Population clearance potential and residence time(t 1/2)for copepods were calculated from laboratory clearance rates and measurements of jellyfish size and abundance from May to August 2009 in Jiaozhou Bay.Clearance rates varied widely with prey organisms,but they were not significantly different among various prey concentrations.Medusae captured rotifers,fish larvae and hydromedusae more efficiently than fish eggs,copepods and chaetognaths.Ephyrae captured rotifers and hydromedusae more efficiently than fish larvae and copepods.Clearance rate linearly increased with the cross sectional area of A.coerulea(size from 0.3 to 7.1 cm).Water temperature also had a marked effect on clearance rate and this was related to the increased beat frequency as water temperature increased.In early May 2009,A.coerulea potentially cleared the volume of water in the Bay less than 0.001 times a day,but this value was estimated to be more than 0.3 times a day in July.The t 1/2 for copepods was less than 6 d in June and July.Abundances of copepods,hydromedusae and chaetognaths were extremely low in 2009 compared to 2008 and 2010(jellyfish non-bloom years).Large predation pressure by the A.coerulea population occurred to control zooplankton communities in Jiaozhou Bay.A.coerulea,when present at a high population level,can be a keystone species in Jiaozhou Bay and control the trophic structure here.

Shark scavenging behavior in the presence of competition

The distribution of organisms within a community can often be determined by the degree of plasticity or degree of specialization of resource acquisition. Resource acquisition is often based on the morphology of an organism, behavior, or a combination of both. Performance tests of feeding can identify the possible interactions that allow one species to better exploit a prey item. Scavenging behaviors in the presence or absence of a competitor were investigated by quantifying prey selection in a trophic generalist, spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias, and atrophic specialist, smooth-hounds Mustelus canis, in order to determine if each shark scavenged according to its jaw morphology. The diet of dogfish consists of small fishes, squid, ctenophores, and bi- valves; they are expected to be nonselective predators. Smooth-hounds primarily feed on crustaceans; therefore, they are predicted to select crabs over other prey types. Prey selection was quantified by ranking each prey item according to the order it was consumed. Dietary shifts were analyzed by comparing the percentage of each prey item selected during solitary versus competitive scavenging. When scavenging alone, dogfish prefer herring and squid, which are easily handled by the cutting dentition of dogfish. Dogfish shift their diet to include a greater number of prey types when scavenging with a competitor. Smooth-hounds scavenge on squid, herring, and shrimp when alone, but increase the number of crabs in the diet when scavenging competitively. Competition causes smooth-hounds to scavenge according to their jaw morphology and locomotor abilities, which enables them to feed on a specialized resource [Current Zoology 56 （1）： 100-108 2010].