Swimming behaviour can maintain localised jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri: Cubozoa) populations

Schlaefer, Jodie A.; Wolanski, Eric; Kingsford, Michael J.

doi:10.3354/meps12305

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The present study supports the consensus that the inclusion of behavior in biophysical models is critical if the organism being modeled can influence its dispersion (Wolanski, 2017). This has been shown true for a range of species, from fishes and corals with short PLD's (e.g., Wolanski and Kingsford, 2014) to crustaceans with long PLD's (e.g., Butler et al, 2011) and jellyfishes with adult pelagic phases (e.g., Fossette et al, 2015;Schlaefer et al, 2018).…”

Section: The Importance Of Larval Swimming Behaviorsupporting

confidence: 70%

Wind Conditions on the Great Barrier Reef Influenced the Recruitment of Snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus)

et al. 2018

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Most coral reef fishes have a pelagic larval stage before recruiting to reefs. The survival of larvae and their subsequent recruitment can drive the dynamics of reef populations. Here we show that the recruitment of the snapper Lutjanus carponotatus to One Tree Island in the Capricorn Bunker Group, in the southern Great Barrier Reef, was highly variable over 23 years. We predicted that the currents in the Capricorn Bunker Group, including their wind driven components and the Capricorn Eddy (a nearby transient oceanic eddy), would affect patterns of recruitment. A biophysical model was used to investigate this prediction. L. carponotatus were collected from One Tree Island and the dates when they were in the plankton as larvae were determined from their otoliths. The winds present during the pelagic phases of the fish were examined; they were found to have survived either longshore (SSE) winds that induced little cross shelf movement in the larval plume or cross shelf (ENE) winds that induced little longshore movement. The unidirectional transportation of the larval plume in these conditions was favorable for recruitment as it kept the plume concentrated in the Capricorn Bunker Group. These winds were more prevalent in the periods of peak L. carponotatus production that preceded high recruitment. Dispersal under average winds (6.2 m s −1 from the prevailing ESE) and strong winds (velocity 1.5 times average), with and without the Capricorn Eddy, was also modeled. Each of these combinations were less favorable for recruitment than the longshore and cross shelf winds larval L. carponotatus survived before reaching OTI. The larval plume was comparatively less concentrated in the Capricorn Bunker Group under average winds. Strong winds transported the larval plume far longshore, to the NW, away from the Capricorn Bunker Group, while the Capricorn Eddy transported larvae seaward into oceanic waters. Larval swimming could counteract these dispersive forces; however, significant dispersion had occurred before larvae developed strong swimming and orientation abilities. This study provides a physical proxy for the recruitment of snapper. Further, we have demonstrated that great insights into recruitment variability can be gained through determining the specific conditions experienced by survivors.

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Section: The Importance Of Larval Swimming Behaviorsupporting

confidence: 70%

Wind Conditions on the Great Barrier Reef Influenced the Recruitment of Snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus)

et al. 2018

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“…Advances in our knowledge of jellyfish behavior and improvements in the sophistication of oceanographic models has allowed biophysical models of jellyfish dispersion to be developed. The models can be used to estimate dispersal from polyp beds [85,86], potential connectivity between local populations and make predictions on likely stock boundaries [32,33]. For example, in a biophysical modelling study, Fossette et al [87] programmed medusae of the scyphozoan Rhizostoma octopus to swim counter-current, and demonstrated that this behavior was integral to the maintenance of local blooms covering tens of km over temporal scales of several months.…”

Section: Biophysical Modellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, in a biophysical modelling study, Fossette et al [87] programmed medusae of the scyphozoan Rhizostoma octopus to swim counter-current, and demonstrated that this behavior was integral to the maintenance of local blooms covering tens of km over temporal scales of several months. Schlaefer et al [33] studied the behavior of the large cubozoan Chironex fleckeri in a semi-enclosed Bay in northern Australia (Port Musgrave, Figure 3). An oceanographic model that did not include jellyfish behavior indicated there was a high probability that jellyfish could remain inside the bay even if they behaved as passive particles.…”

Section: Biophysical Modellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All of the species that have been observed swim well. For example, relatively small Copula sivickisi (size range: 0.4 to 1.1 cm Inter Pedalial Distance) have been recorded swimming at maximum speeds of 12 cm s −1 in swim trials [32], while the larger Chironex fleckeri (size range: 4 to 12 cm Inter Pedalial Distance) have been measured to swim at speeds of up to 16.6 cm s −1 in the field [33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Population Structures and Levels of Connectivity for Scyphozoan and Cubozoan Jellyfish

2021

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Understanding the hierarchy of populations from the scale of metapopulations to mesopopulations and member local populations is fundamental to understanding the population dynamics of any species. Jellyfish by definition are planktonic and it would be assumed that connectivity would be high among local populations, and that populations would minimally vary in both ecological and genetic clade-level differences over broad spatial scales (i.e., hundreds to thousands of km). Although data exists on the connectivity of scyphozoan jellyfish, there are few data on cubozoans. Cubozoans are capable swimmers and have more complex and sophisticated visual abilities than scyphozoans. We predict, therefore, that cubozoans have the potential to have finer spatial scale differences in population structure than their relatives, the scyphozoans. Here we review the data available on the population structures of scyphozoans and what is known about cubozoans. The evidence from realized connectivity and estimates of potential connectivity for scyphozoans indicates the following. Some jellyfish taxa have a large metapopulation and very large stocks (>1000 s of km), while others have clade-level differences on the scale of tens of km. Data on distributions, genetics of medusa and polyps, statolith shape, elemental chemistry of statoliths and biophysical modelling of connectivity suggest that some of the ~50 species of cubozoans have populations of surprisingly small spatial scales and low levels of connectivity. Despite their classification as plankton, therefore, some scyphozoans and cubozoans have stocks of small spatial scales. Causal factors that influence the population structure in many taxa include the distribution of polyps, behavior of medusa, local geomorphology and hydrodynamics. Finally, the resolution of patterns of connectivity and population structures will be greatest when multiple methods are used.

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“…(Halsband et al 2018), and Arctic ice (Purcell et al 2018). How environmental factors and swimming ability may determine distributions of cubozoans was investigated by Schlaefer et al (2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Jellyfish blooms: advances and challenges

Fuentes¹,

Purcell²,

Condon³

et al. 2018

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Research on gelatinous zooplankton (hereafter 'jellyfish') has burgeoned over the past decade. In particular, researchers are increasingly studying the impacts of nuisance outbreaks of jellyfish for human activities. Significant advances in jellyfish research are related to updated technology, molecular and predictive tools, and development of global databases on jellyfish (e.g. Jellyfish Database Initiative, Condon et al. 2014a). Recent studies have identified benefits of jellyfish for ecosystem services (e.g. fisheries) and have led to a greater appreciation by the wider scientific community of the significance of jellyfish in marine food webs and large-scale oceanic processes (e.g. the biological pump, Burd et al. 2016). This is clearly an exciting and challenging time for the jellyfish community to build on these discoveries by establishing new theories and paradigms at an ecosystem scale and to understand the natural and anthropogenic mechanisms driving fluctuations in jellyfish populations across multiple spatiotemporal scales. Undoubtedly, the impetus for jellyfish research and the establishment of a multidecadal knowledge base on jellyfish ecology were stimulated from discussions and sentinel papers presented at the first 4 jellyfish symposia held in

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Swimming behaviour can maintain localised jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri: Cubozoa) populations

Cited by 15 publications

References 58 publications

Wind Conditions on the Great Barrier Reef Influenced the Recruitment of Snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus)

Wind Conditions on the Great Barrier Reef Influenced the Recruitment of Snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus)

Population Structures and Levels of Connectivity for Scyphozoan and Cubozoan Jellyfish

Jellyfish blooms: advances and challenges

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