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JPR Advance Access published online on April 11, 2006
Journal of Plankton Research, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbl002
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received December 12, 2005
Accepted April 4, 2006

Short Communication

Feeding Efficiency of the Larval Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz (Ctenophora, Lobata)

Rebecca J. Waggett 1 * and Lindsay J. Sullivan 1

1 Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Rebecca J. Waggett, E-mail: waggett{at}gso.uri.edu


  Abstract

Larval stages of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi rely on metazoan prey, such as Acartia tonsa nauplii and copepodites, to support high growth rates. However, M. leidyi larvae <0.5 mm (total length) had low retention efficiencies (proportion of encountered prey actually ingested), 5.78% ± 2.6% (mean ± SE), of nauplii and were often damaged by their encounters. Retention efficiencies of nauplii rapidly increased, 38.94% ± 3.73%, as larvae grew to a size of ~2.0 mm. For larvae >2.0 mm, nauplii retention efficiencies plateaued at a mean of 91.03% ± 1.70%. All larvae <0.80 mm were incapable of successfully consuming copepodites. Retention efficiencies of copepodites increased, 23.04% ± 4.68%, as ctenophore larvae developed to ~2.5 mm. Ctenophore larvae >2.5 mm reached a maximum copepodite retention efficiency of 63.75% ± 3.01%.

Communicating Editor: KJ Flynn


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