Overview
Introduction
Economic Importance
Physical Description
Size
Ecology
Local Occurrence
Global Distribution
Crypsis
Life History & Behaviour
Life Cycle & Reproduction
Locomotion
Feeding (Report)
Anatomy & Physiology
Nervous System
Musculature
Respiration, Circulation & Excretion
Evolution & Systematics
Systematics
Conservation & Threats
Conservation
Threats
References |
FEEDING
Medusae are non-visual predators (Arai, 1991). Jellyfish do not detect their prey by it's movements or the chemicals it releases (Arai, 1991). They are opportunistic predators that rely on random contact with their prey via their tentacles (Arai, 1991). Their prey is then moved to the manubrium (mouth), where it is passed into the gastrodermal cavity (stomach). From here, digestion takes place and nutrients are dispersed throughout the body. It should be noted that medusae are carnivorous (Sparks et al., 2001).
In Aequorea sp., the manubrium was observed to be on top of the bell. This caused a large degree of confusion until it was discovered that Aequorea sp. was exhibiting jellyfish eversion syndrome (Feeman et al., 2009). Due to this unusual occurrence, the feeding behaviour was altered in a very strange way.
Figure 4.5: Close up view of the manubrium of
Aequorea sp. Photo taken on Heron Island by
Katie Maling. |
Aequorea sp. was found to make contact with its intended prey (here, a salp) via the manubrium on top if the bell. The salp was then ingested and digested over the course of four and a half hours. This can be seen in the below video.
Another curious observation was made during the surveillance of Aequorea sp. It appeared that the Aequorea sp. had control over the movement of the manubrium. This can also be observed in the video below.
The observations made on the feeding behaviour of Aequorea sp. make up the basis of this report. A downloadable Word document is provided for further reading.
Downloadable Word document: BIOL3211 Katie Maling.docx
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