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Trophic ecology of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the southern North Sea: a biomarker approach

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An Erratum to this article was published on 18 August 2016

Abstract

The non-indigenous ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz 1865 was first observed in the southern North Sea in 2006 and has since then frequently been encountered. Knowledge on the diet, trophic position and interactions with other components of the pelagic food web will largely contribute to assess the impact of this species on the ecosystem. Using both stable isotope (SI) and fatty acid (FA) analysis, this study revealed spatial and temporal variation in the trophic ecology of M. leidyi in different ecosystems in the southern North Sea. Based on the isotopic composition, spatial differences were largely driven by variation at the base of the food web rather than diet changes of M. leidyi in the different ecosystems. Temporal variation in M. leidyi SI composition was also influenced by shifting baseline values and driven by seasonal changes in the associated plankton communities. This study provides first data on the FA composition of M. leidyi as compared to FA concentrations of two indigenous ctenophores. Total FA concentration in M. leidyi was three to four times lower compared to Pleurobrachia pileus and Beroe sp., categorising it as a lipid-poor organism. Trophic interactions between M. leidyi and two co-occurring ctenophores (P. pileus and Beroe sp.) showed considerable resource differentiation, which could be the result of competition or different diets. A mixture of zooplankton was identified as potential food sources for M. leidyi. FA markers supported the carnivorous diet of Beroe sp., but its SI composition did not confirm the predatory relation with M. leidyi.

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Acknowledgments

The first author acknowledges a PhD grant of the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO). This research was executed in close cooperation with the Marine Biology section of Ghent University, with special thanks to Prof. Dr. Magda Vincx, and framed within the INTERREG IVa 2 Seas project MEMO (M. leidyi Ecology and Modelling: Observations of an invasive comb jelly in the southern North Sea). Laurence De Clippele and Brecht Vanhove did part of the analyses within their MSc program ‘Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management’ at UGent. The authors further wish to thank André Cattrijsse and Michiel Tjampens from the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and the captains and crew of RV Zeeleeuw, RV Simon Stevin, RV Luctor and RV Thalia for the logistic and practical support. Thanks to Tina Van Regenmortel, David Vuylsteke, Sofie Vandendriessche, Elvire Antajan, Morgane Travers, Valérie Lefèbvre, Lodewijk van Walraven, Sophie Pitois and Vincent Cornille for support during the sampling campaigns, to Jan Ranson for help with the preparation of the stable isotope samples, and to Dirk Van Gansbeke for assistance with the fatty acid analyses, the latter being supported by research grant 31523814 of FWO-Flanders awarded to Marleen De Troch. Finally, we want to thank the reviewers for their comments and suggestions which helped to improve the manuscript.

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  1. Bio-environmental Research, Aquatic Environment and Quality, Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Ankerstraat 1, 8400, Ostend, Belgium

    Lies Vansteenbrugge, Kris Hostens & Annelies De Backer

  2. Marine Biology, Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University (UGent), Krijgslaan 281 – S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Lies Vansteenbrugge, Brecht Vanhove, Laurence De Clippele & Marleen De Troch

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Vansteenbrugge, L., Hostens, K., Vanhove, B. et al. Trophic ecology of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the southern North Sea: a biomarker approach. Mar Biol 163, 25 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-015-2800-z

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