Orientation Behavior and Feeding Ecology of the Scyphomedusa Chrysaora fuscescens

dc.contributor.advisorSutherland, Kelly
dc.contributor.authorZeman, Samantha
dc.date.accessioned2015-08-18T22:53:35Z
dc.date.available2015-08-18T22:53:35Z
dc.date.issued2015-08-18
dc.description.abstractChrysaora fuscescens is a cnidarian scyphomedusa that occurs in the northern California Current. In this upwelling system, medusae are seasonally abundant, and individuals can ingest 10-60% of the standing stock of vulnerable zooplankton taxa per day. Yet little is known about this medusa's feeding ecology. Using laboratory pseudokreisels, C. fuscescens feeding rates and behavior were quantified in the presence of a controlled flow field. C. fuscescens collected aboard research cruises were dissected, and prey items were counted in order to calculate feeding rates and prey selectivity. In the lab, C. fuscescens feeding rates were not affected by shear flow, and medusa maintained position by swimming counter-current. Field work demonstrates high feeding rates and positive prey selection for nonmotile taxa. For the first time, high clearance rates of ichthyoplankton have been documented. An understanding of jellyfish behavior can help explain jellyfish distributions and trophic impacts in a productive upwelling system.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/19212
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregon
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.
dc.subjectFeeding ratesen_US
dc.subjectJellyfishen_US
dc.subjectNorthern California currenten_US
dc.subjectOrientation behavioren_US
dc.titleOrientation Behavior and Feeding Ecology of the Scyphomedusa Chrysaora fuscescens
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineDepartment of Biology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregon
thesis.degree.levelmasters
thesis.degree.nameM.S.

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