A new species of multitentaculate Pogonophora from northern Norway : Brattegard Torleiv, 1966. Sarsia, 22: 55–63.

Abstract

More than 20 prey taxa were identified from gut contents of Stomolophus meleagris medusae in the north-eastern Gulf of Mexico; seven taxa formed over 98% of the total. Bivalve veligers (mostly Crassostrea virginica) dominated, constituting 56% of the total. Other significant prey were copepod eggs, nauplii, copepodites and adults, gastropod veligers, and Oikopleura sp. Mean numbers of prey in the guts of S. meleagris medusae (bell height ranged from 1·5 to 10 cm) varied from 400 to 9300. Numbers of prey were an exponential function of medusan biomass, increasing from 700 prey at 9 g wet weight to 6000 prey at 325 g wet weight. Mean numbers of ingested prey ranged from 4000 to > 65000 prey day−1 medusa−1. Bivalve veligers made up 47% of the daily ration. The daily ration was estimated to range from 20 to 100 mg C medusa−1, depending on size of the medusa. Bivalve veligers were selected over all other kinds of prey. Fish eggs were the next preferred prey followed by harpacticoids, larvaceans and tintinnids, all with selectivities near zero. Lowest selectivity values were for copepod nauplii, and cyclopoid and calanoid copepods. Estimated in situ clearance rates were highly variable depending on the prey and size of the medusa, and ranged from < 1 to 135 l h−1 medusa−1. A description of the possible mechanism of feeding and mode of prey selection is presented. Filter-feeding in rhizostomes probably evolved in response to small prey size in tropical waters.