Ambient fluid motions influence swimming and feeding by the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Journal of Plankton Research
Publication Date
1-1-2014
Abstract
Planktonic organisms are exposed to turbulent water motion that affects the fundamental activities of swimming and feeding. The goal of this study was to measure the influence of realistic turbulence levels on (i) swimming behavior and (ii) fluid interactions during feeding by the lobate ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi, a highly successful suspension-feeding predator. A laboratory turbulence generator produced turbulence (ε = 0.5-1.4 × 10-6 W kg-1) representative of a field site in Woods Hole, MA, USA. Compared with still water, M. leidyi avoided regions in the experimental vessel where turbulence was greatest (ε = 1.1-1.4 × 10-6 W kg-1) by increasing its swimming speeds and accelerations. Both laboratory and in situ particle image velocimetry data demonstrated that feeding currents of M. leidyi were eroded by ambient fluid motions. Despite this, the overall flux to the feeding structures remained constant due to higher swimming speeds in turbulent conditions. Instantaneous shear deformation rates produced by background turbulence were higher than those produced by ctenophore feeding currents and frequently exceeded the published escape thresholds of copepod prey. Feeding current erosion and fluid mechanical signal noise within turbulent flows affect the mechanics of predator-prey interactions during suspension feeding by the ctenophore M. leidyi.
Volume
36
Issue
5
First Page
1310
Last Page
1322
DOI
10.1093/plankt/fbu051
Recommended Citation
Sutherland, K., Costello, J., Colin, S., & Dabiri, J. (2014). Ambient fluid motions influence swimming and feeding by the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Journal of Plankton Research, 36 (5), 1310-1322. https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbu051
ISSN
01427873
E-ISSN
14643774