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JPR Advance Access published online on August 22, 2005
Journal of Plankton Research, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbi055
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org
Received April 25, 2005
Accepted August 15, 2005

Article

Trophic interactions of the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii

Thomas Jankowski 1*, Tido Strauss 2, and Hans Toni Ratte 1

1 Institute of Environmental Research (Biology V), RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 1, D-52056 Aachen, Germany
2 Institute of Environmental Research (Biology V), RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 1, D-52056 Aachen, Germany; Present address: Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment -- gaiac, RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 1, D-52056 Aachen, Germany

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Thomas Jankowski, E-mail: thomas.jankowski{at}eawag.ch


  Abstract

The predatory impact and the trophic role of the freshwater jellyfish, Craspedacusta sowerbii, was studied using microcosm and enclosure experiments as well as a three-year pond survey. The results showed a significant decrease of small herbivorous crustaceans, i.e., Bosmina longirostris and juvenile cyclopoid copepods, in the medusa treatments of the microcosms and the enclosure experiments. Chlorophyll concentrations in the enclosure experiment were significantly increased in the medusa treatment, suggesting that Craspedacusta sowerbii may cause cascading effects in the food chain. A comparison of daily zooplankton losses during the pond survey caused by medusae and fish (roach, Rutilus rutilus), and their food selectivities suggest food separation of these two predators and reveal a strong negative impact of medusae on the copepod pond community. In the case of a jellyfish bloom, our results show that both food chains can co-occur in lakes due to a weak interaction between these top predators, fish and jellyfish, with simultaneous impacts on the zooplankton structure.

Keywords: freshwater jellyfish, Craspedacusta, food-web interaction, predatory impact, Rutilus.
Communicating Editor: KJ Flynn
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[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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