Species–specific crab predation on the hydrozoan clinging jellyfish Gonionemus sp. (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa), subsequent crab mortality, and possible ecological consequences

Date
2017-10-26Author
Carman, Mary R.
Concept link
Grunden, David W.
Concept link
Govindarajan, Annette F.
Concept link
Metadata
Show full item recordCitable URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/9373As published
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3966DOI
10.7717/peerj.3966Keyword
Libinia dubia; Gonionemus; Invasive species; Callinectes sapidus; Hydrozoa; Jellyfish; Carcinus maenas; Indirect effects; EelgrassAbstract
Here we report a unique trophic interaction between the cryptogenic and sometimes highly toxic hydrozoan clinging jellyfish Gonionemus sp. and the spider crab Libinia dubia. We assessed species–specific predation on the Gonionemus medusae by crabs found in eelgrass meadows in Massachusetts, USA. The native spider crab species L. dubia consumed Gonionemus medusae, often enthusiastically, but the invasive green crab Carcinus maenus avoided consumption in all trials. One out of two blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) also consumed Gonionemus, but this species was too rare in our study system to evaluate further. Libinia crabs could consume up to 30 jellyfish, which was the maximum jellyfish density treatment in our experiments, over a 24-hour period. Gonionemus consumption was associated with Libinia mortality. Spider crab mortality increased with Gonionemus consumption, and 100% of spider crabs tested died within 24 h of consuming jellyfish in our maximum jellyfish density containers. As the numbers of Gonionemus medusae used in our experiments likely underestimate the number of medusae that could be encountered by spider crabs over a 24-hour period in the field, we expect that Gonionemus may be having a negative effect on natural Libinia populations. Furthermore, given that Libinia overlaps in habitat and resource use with Carcinus, which avoids Gonionemus consumption, Carcinus populations could be indirectly benefiting from this unusual crab–jellyfish trophic relationship.
Description
© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PeerJ 5 (2017): e3966, doi:10.7717/peerj.3966.
Collections
Suggested Citation
PeerJ 5 (2017): e3966The following license files are associated with this item:
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Mitochondrial diversity in Gonionemus (Trachylina:Hydrozoa) and its implications for understanding the origins of clinging jellyfish in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean
Govindarajan, Annette F.; Carman, Mary R.; Khaidarov, Marat; Semenchenko, Alexander; Wares, John P. (PeerJ, 2017-04-18)Determining whether a population is introduced or native to a region can be challenging due to inadequate taxonomy, the presence of cryptic lineages, and poor historical documentation. For taxa with resting stages that ... -
Effects of turbulence on the feeding rate of a pelagic predator : the planktonic hydroid Clytia gracilis
Adamik, Peter; Gallager, Scott M.; Horgan, Erich F.; Madin, Laurence P.; McGillis, Wade R.; Govindarajan, Annette F.; Alatalo, Philip (2005-12-14)Relatively little is known about the role of turbulence in a predator - prey system where the predator is a passive, pelagic forager. The Campanulariid hydroid Clytia gracilis (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) is unusual because it ... -
The distribution and mitochondrial genotype of the hydroid Aglaophenia latecarinata is correlated with its pelagic Sargassum substrate type in the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean
Govindarajan, Annette F.; Cooney, Laura; Whittaker, Kerry A.; Bloch, Dana; Burdorf, Rachel M.; Canning, Shalagh; Carter, Caroline; Cellan, Shannon M.; Eriksson, Fredrik A.A.; Freyer, Hannah; Huston, Grayson; Hutchinson, Sabrina; McKeegan, Kathleen; Malpani, Megha; Merkle-Raymond, Alex; Ouellette, Kendra; Petersen-Rockney, Robin; Schultz, Maggie; Siuda, Amy N. S. (PeerJ, 2019-10-18)The pelagic brown macroalga Sargassum supports rich biological communities in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic region, including a variety of epiphytic invertebrates that grow on the Sargassum itself. The thecate ...