Abstract
The study of the natural history of gelatinous zooplankton (‘gelata’) reached a high point at the end of the 19th century, when scientists first began to understand the phylogenetic and ecological links between cnidarians and ctenophores. Siphonophores, carefully figured in their entirety, and gauze-like lobate ctenophores too fragile to touch, were described by the dozens. In the ensuing years, focus on zooplankton shifted toward more ‘industrial’ goals such as quantitative sampling using plankton nets. While plankton scientists were busy summing tattered parts, they lost sight of the whole jellies themselves, and a crustaceocentric view of the ocean came to dominate. During this period, the most dramatic breakthroughs in cnidarian research came from laboratory studies of neurobiology, physiology, and development, particularly of certain model organisms. Now, at the turn of this century, we have the opportunity to bring gelata back into primacy. Submersibles and remotely operated vehicles allow us to study entire life histories of organisms that we did not even know existed. The tools of molecular biology allow us to answer questions about development, evolution, and phylogeny that had reached a stalemate. Even in the surface waters, where it might be thought that there is little left to learn, in situ observations have revealed unexpected interactions and hidden diversity. The critical roles that these organisms play in the health of the oceans, their position at the crux of many evolutionary debates, and the tools for biotechnology that they provide, have led to resurgent public appreciation and awareness. Although advanced tools do not necessitate good science, we have few excuses for failing to bring about another golden age of gelata.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. L. Alldredge (1984) The quantitative significance of gelatinous zooplankton as pelagic consumers In Fasham M. J. R. (ed.), Flows of Energy and Materials in Marine Ecosystems. Plenum, New York: 407–433
A. L. Alldredge M. W. Silver (1988) ArticleTitleCharacteristics, dynamics and significance of marine snow Progress in Oceanography 20 41–82 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0079-6611(88)90053-5
R. Bieri (1966) ArticleTitleFeeding preferences and rates of the snail, Ianthina prolongata, the barnacle, Lepas anserifera, the nudibranchs Glaucus atlanticum and Fiona pinnata, and the food web in the marine neuston Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 14 161–170
H. J. Ceccaldi (1972) ArticleTitleObservations biologiques de Cestus veneris Tethys 4 707–710
C. Chun (1880) Die Ctenophoren des Golfes von Neapel, Vol 1. Wilhelm Engelmann Leipzig
A. G. Collins (2002) ArticleTitlePhylogeny of Medusozoa and the evolution of cnidarian life cycles Journal of Evolutionary Biology 15 418–432 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00403.x
E. F. Delong D. G. Franks A. L. Alldredge (1993) ArticleTitlePhylogenetic diversity of aggregate-attached versus free-living marine bacterial assemblages Limnology and Oceanography 38 924–934 Occurrence Handle10.4319/lo.1993.38.5.0924
C. Dennis (2003) ArticleTitleClose encounters of the jelly kind Nature 426 12–14 Occurrence Handle14603284 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXoslSjsbY%3D Occurrence Handle10.1038/426012a
R. Gasca S. H. D. Haddock (2004) ArticleTitleAssociations between gelatinous zooplankton and hyperiid amphipods (Crustacea: Peracarida) in the Gulf of California Hydrobiologia 530/531: (Dev. Hydrobiol. 178) 529–535 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s10750-004-2657-5
P. H. Gosse (1853) A Naturalist’s Rambles on the Devonshire Coast John van Voorst London
W. Greve (1970) ArticleTitleCultivation experiments on North Sea ctenophores Helgoländer Wissenschaftliche Meeresuntersuchungen 20 304–307 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01609908
S. H. D. Haddock J. F. Case (1999) ArticleTitleBioluminescence spectra of shallow and deep-sea gelatinous zooplankton: ctenophores, medusae and siphonophores Marine Biology 133 571–582 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002270050497
E. Haeckel (1887) ArticleTitleReport on the Radiolaria collected by the H. M S. Challenger during the years 1873–1876. Report on the scientific results of the voyage of the H. M. S. Challenger. Zoology 18 1–1803
E. Haeckel (1888) ArticleTitleReport on the Siphonophorae collected by H M. S. Challenger during the years 1873–1876. Report on the scientific results of the voyage of the H. M. S. Challenger. Zoology 28 1–380
E. Haeckel (1904) Kuntsformen der Natur Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig and Vienna
W. M. Hamner (1975) ArticleTitleUnderwater observations of blue-water plankton: logistics, techniques, and safety procedures for divers at sea Limnology and Oceanography 20 1045–1051
W. M. Hamner B. H. Robison (1992) ArticleTitleIn situ observations of giant appendicularians in Monterey Bay Deep Sea Research 39 1299–1313 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0198-0149(92)90070-A
W. M. Hamner L. P. Madin A. L. Alldredge R. W. Gilmer P. P. Hamner (1975) ArticleTitleUnderwater observations of gelatinous zooplankton: sampling problems, feeding biology, and behavior Limnology and Oceanography 20 907–917 Occurrence Handle10.4319/lo.1975.20.6.0907
G. R. Harbison (1992) ArticleTitleThe gelatinous inhabitants of the ocean interior Oceanus 35 18–23
G. R. Harbison D. C. Biggs L. P. Madin (1977) ArticleTitleThe associations of Amphipoda Hyperiidea with gelatinous zooplankton II. Associations with Cnidaria, Ctenophora and Radiolaria. Deep-Sea Research 24 465–488
G. R. Harbison L. P. Madin N. R. Swanberg (1978) ArticleTitleOn the natural history and distribution of oceanic ctenophores Deep-Sea Research 25 233–256 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0146-6291(78)90590-8
G. R. Harbison G. I. Matsumoto B. H. Robison (2001) ArticleTitleLampocteis cruentiventer gen nov., sp nov: a new mesopelagic lobate ctenophore, representing the type of a new family (Class Tentaculata, Order Lobata, Family Lampoctenidae, fam, nov.). Bulletin of Marine Science 68 299–311
T. H. Huxley (1856) ArticleTitleOn natural history, as knowledge, discipline, and power Proceedings of the Royal Institution. Scientific Memoirs 1 305–314
D. J. Lindsay J. C. Hunt J. Hashimoto Y. Fujiwara K. Fujikura H. Miyake S. Tsuchida (2000) ArticleTitleSubmersible observations on the deep-sea fauna of the south-west Indian Ocean: preliminary results for the mesopelagic and near-bottom communities JAMSTEC Journal of Deep Sea Research 16 23–33
D. J. Lindsay J. C. Hunt K. Hayashi (2001) ArticleTitleAssociations in the␣midwater zone: the penaeid shrimp Funchalia sagamiensis Fujino 1975 and pelagic tunicates (Order: Pyrosomatida) Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology 34 157–170 Occurrence Handle10.1080/10236240109379069
L. P. Madin G. R. Harbison (1978a) ArticleTitleBathocyroë fosteri gen nov., sp. nov.: a mesopelagic ctenophore observed and collected from a submersible. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 58 559–564
L. P. Madin G. R. Harbison (1978b) ArticleTitleThalassocalyce inconstans, new genus and species, an enigmatic ctenophore representing a new family and order Bulletin of Marine Science 28 680–687
Mechnikov, I., 1874. Studien u«ber die Entwickelung der Medusen und Siphonophoren. Z. Wiss. Zool.
C. E. Mills (1998) Phylum Ctenophora: list of all valid species names Electronic internet document available at http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/Ctenolist.html. Published by the author web page established March 1998, last updated November 2003
C. E. Mills (2001) ArticleTitleJellyfish blooms: are populations increasing globally in response to changing ocean conditions Hydrobiologia 451 55–68 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1011888006302
A. G. Moss S. L. Tamm (1986) ArticleTitleElectrophysiological control of ciliary motor responses in the ctenophore Pleurobrachia Journal of Comparative Physiology A 158 311–330 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaL283ltl2qsw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00603615
M. Podar S. H. D. Haddock M. Sogin G. R. Harbison (2001) ArticleTitleMolecular phylogenetic framework for the phylum Ctenophora based on 18s rRNA sequences Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 21 218–230 Occurrence Handle11697917 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXotVynu7w%3D Occurrence Handle10.1006/mpev.2001.1036
P. R. Pugh (1989) ArticleTitleGelatinous zooplankton–the forgotten fauna Progress in Underwater Science 14 67–78
P. R. Pugh G. R. Harbison (1987) ArticleTitleThree new species of prayine siphonphore (Calycophorae, Prayidae) collected by a submersible, with notes on related species Bulletin of Marine Science 41 68–91
J. E. Purcell (1991) ArticleTitleA review of cnidarians and ctenophores feeding on competitors in the plankton Hydrobiologia 216 335–342 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00026483
K. A. Raskoff (2002) ArticleTitleForaging, prey capture, and gut contents of the mesopelagic narcomedusa Solmissus spp (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa). Marine Biology 141 1099–1107
B. A. Seibel E. V. Thuesen J. J. Childress L. A. Gorodezky (1997) ArticleTitleDecline in pelagic cephalopod metabolism with habitat depth reflects differences in locomotory efficiency Biological Bulletin 192 262–278 Occurrence Handle10.2307/1542720
M. W. Silver A. L. Shanks J. D. Trent (1978) ArticleTitleMarine snow: microplankton habitat and source of small-scale␣patchiness in pelagic populations Science 201 371–373 Occurrence Handle17793735 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.201.4353.371 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BC3cvjsVaquw%3D%3D
E. V. Thuesen J. J. Childress (1994) ArticleTitleOxygen consumption rates and metabolic enzyme activities of oceanic California medusae in relation to body size and habitat depth Biological Bulletin 187 84–98 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXpslCgtA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.2307/1542168
A. K. Totton (1965) A Synopsis of the Siphonophora British Museum London
M. Y. Vinogradov (1989) ArticleTitleA newly acclimated species in the Black Sea: the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora: Lobata) Oceanology 29 220–224
Widder, E. A., S. Bernstein, D. F. Bracher, J. F. Case, P. Hiller-Adams , K. R. Reisenbichler, J. J. Torres & B. H. Robison,␣1989. Bioluminescence in the Monterey Submarine Canyon: image analysis of video recordings from a midwater submersible. Marine Biology 100: 541–551.
M. P. Winsor (1972) ArticleTitleA historical consideration of the siphonophores Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B 73 315–323
J. G. Wood (1890) Out of Doors, a Selection of Original Articles on Practical Natural History Longmans Green and Co., London
M. J. Youngbluth (1984) Manned submersibles and sophisticated instrumentation: tools for oceanographic research SUBTECH ‘83 Proceedings: Society for Underwater Technology London: 335–344
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
A plenary address of the 7th International Conference on Coelenterate Biology.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Haddock, S.H.D. A golden age of gelata: past and future research on planktonic ctenophores and cnidarians. Hydrobiologia 530, 549–556 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-004-2653-9
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-004-2653-9