Stealth predation and the predatory success of the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi

• In contrast to higher metazoans such as copepods and fish, ctenophores are a basal metazoan lineage possessing a relatively narrow set of sensory-motor capabilities. Yet lobate ctenophores can capture prey at rates comparable to sophisticated predatory copepods and fish, and they are capable of altering the composition of coastal planktonic communities. Here, we demonstrate that the predatory success of the lobate ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi lies in its use of cilia to generate a feeding current that continuously entrains large volumes of fluid, yet is virtually undetectable to its prey. This form of stealth predation enables M. leidyi to feed as a generalist predator capturing prey, including microplankton (approximately 50 mu m), copepods (approximately 1 mm), and fish larvae (> 3 mm). The efficacy and versatility of this stealth feeding mechanism has enabled M. leidyi to be notoriously destructive as a predator and successful as an invasive species.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

feeding current

flow

predator

prey

biological invasions

COPEPOD ACARTIA-TONSA

SOUTHERN CASPIAN SEA

BLACK-SEA

LOBATE

CTENOPHORE

ZOOPLANKTON COMMUNITY

CALANOID COPEPODS

ESCAPE RESPONSES

FILTRATION-RATE

MYTILUS-EDULIS

BLUE MUSSEL

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