Jellyfish Consumption Research Articles

Jellyfish as sustainable food source: A cross-cultural study among Latin American countries

Jellyfish consumption is popular in Asia but neglected in other continents, where their abundance could represent a sustainable food source. This study explored the potential of jellyfish as food in the Latin American population. Through an online survey that included questions about socio-demographics, personality traits, and acceptance of jellyfish as food, responses by 6,597 Latin Americans (55.9 % females; 18–90 years old) in nine countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay) were collected. Jellyfish consumption acceptance (JCA) was positively correlated with age, educational level, and income, and negatively correlated with food neophobia and sensitivity to disgust. Comparing the nine countries, significant differences were identified. The highest levels of JCA were found among Argentinians and Peruvians, while the lowest values were observed among Ecuadorians and Salvadorians. Based on the modality of consumption (visible appearance, ingredient role, cooking method, carrier flavour of the recipe), four groups of countries with similar acceptance were observed: 1) Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil; 2) El Salvador; 3) Chile and Uruguay; and 4) Ecuador. Moreover, differences in food pairing choices were highlighted among countries of the Northern hemisphere (El Salvador, Mexico, and Colombia), middle latitude (Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil) and the southernmost (Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile). In conclusion, this research contributes to the understanding of jellyfish as a sustainable food source in Latin America and provides useful insights for future market development and the adoption of tailored approaches to maximise the use and consumption of jellyfish across the region.

РАЗРАБОТКА ТЕХНОЛОГИИ СОЛЕНОЙ ПРОДУКЦИИ ИЗ МЕДУЗЫ RHIZOSTOMA PULMO (MACRI, 1778)

Increase in the barrel jellyfish abundance, recently observed in the Azov and Black Sea Fishery Basin, has an adverse effect on the fishery and tourism in the region. Jellyfish consumption is a long-standing tradition for the countries of East and Southeast Asia, where the processing technology for jellyfish is based on the salting involving potassium alum. Jellyfish treatment with potassium alum leads to the accumulation of aluminum in the final product, which poses a threat for the human health. Thus, the research of the jellyfish processing methods excluding the use of aluminum is of utmost importance. This study was aimed at the development of the salting methods for barrel jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo that would involve using plant-based tanning substances. This article presents processing scheme and technological parameters for the salted products derived from jellyfish. Using tanning substances extracted from oak bark and green tea leaves in the quantity of no less than 0.75 % of the jellyfish brought for salting (in terms of weight) made it possible to obtain the salted product with condensed structure. For a lightly salted product, salting should be conducted in 8-10 % saline solution at the temperature 4±2 °С. Based on the identified technological parameters and the assessment of quality and safety characteristics of the obtained samples of salted jellyfish, specifications and processing instruction for the salted products derived from jellyfish for its further use as a food ingredient in multicomponent recipes have been developed.

Proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of the effects of dietary jellyfish on the midgut of Pampus argenteus

Due to their high-water content and low nutritional value, jellyfish have long been considered ‘dead ends’ in marine food webs. However, it was revealed that silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) preferentially hunts jellyfish, and consuming jellyfish alters intestine histology. To better understand the physiological responses of midgut tissues after consuming jellyfish, we compared the transcriptomes and proteomes of jellyfish-fed and jellyfish-unfed groups, and identified 1167 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 471 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that unsaturated fatty acid metabolism pathways, especially cholesterol metabolism, were the most enriched biological pathways. Apolipoprotein E was downregulated at both transcriptome and proteome levels, and it was found to negatively regulate jellyfish consumption. These results provide deep insight into the molecular mechanisms regulating jellyfish consumption in Pampus argenteus.

Trace Metals Do Not Accumulate Over Time in The Edible Mediterranean Jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) from Urban Coastal Waters

Jellyfish as food represent a millennial tradition in Asia. Recently, jellyfish have also been proposed as a valuable source of protein in Western countries. To identify health risks associated with the potential human consumption of jellyfish as food, trace element accumulation was assessed in the gonads and umbrella tissues of the Mediterranean Rhizostoma pulmo (Macri, 1778), sampled over a period of 16 months along the shallow coastal waters a short distance from the city of Taranto, an area affected by metallurgic and oil refinery sources of pollution. Higher tissue concentrations of trace elements were usually detected in gonads than in umbrella tissue. In particular, significant differences in the toxic metalloid As, and in the metals Mn, Mo, and Zn, were observed among different tissues. The concentrations of vanadium were slightly higher in umbrella tissues than in gonads. No positive correlation was observed between element concentration and jellyfish size, suggesting the lack of bioaccumulation processes. Moreover, toxic element concentrations in R. pulmo were found below the threshold levels for human consumption allowed by Australian, USA, and EU Food Regulations. These results corroborate the hypothesis that R. pulmo is a safe, potentially novel food source, even when jellyfish are harvested from coastal areas affected by anthropogenic impacts.

A Systematic Review of Risk Assessment Associated with Jellyfish Consumption as a Potential Novel Food.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) predicted that the world’s population will reach over 9 billion in 2050. This condition will require an increase of the global food production by 60%. Technology and scientific research in the near future will soon be oriented towards optimizing the limited existing resources, reducing waste, and improving the consumption of sustainable new foods. Jellyfish could be a valid alternative among novel food. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess microbiological, chemical, physical, and allergenic risks associated with jellyfish consumption. Four research strings have been used to assess evidences about these risks. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines were applied. Finally, 14 articles were found. Results showed a good level of health safety for jellyfish consumption in terms of its allergenic and microbiological risks. No evidence was found about physical risks. As regards chemical safety, it should be fundamental to carry out a constant monitoring of the water where jellyfish are captured or bred. Periodic checks will be necessary on the finished product, such as the analysis of the aluminum content commonly used during the manufacturing process. The number of publications found was rather small, and further investigation will be necessary to enforce the knowledge on jellyfish consumption by humans.

The effect of dealuminated jellyfish in mitigating toxicity on mice exposed to aluminum

In the present study, the removal effect of dealuminated jellyfish on Aluminum (Al) in mice was evaluated. The results showed that the consumption of dealuminated jellyfish significantly decreased Al accumulation in the liver of mice, indicating an Al-removing effect of dealuminated jellyfish on Al-enriched mice. In addition, the effect of dealuminated jellyfish consumption on an Al-overload model was further evaluated. The result showed that the Al content in different tissues and organs of mice was significantly reduced, but it had no significant effect on the other metallic element content. These results indicated that the samples from oral administration have a certain Al-removing effect in Al-overloaded mice. Moreover, the cluster analysis of differentially expressed proteins in blood and liver showed that a high dose of dealuminated jellyfish improve the expression of amine oxidase B and enhance the effect of Al discharge.

Molecular approach indicates consumption of jellyfish by commercially important fish species in a coastal Mediterranean lagoon

Until recently, jellyfish have been ignored as an important source of food, due to their low nutritional value. Here, quantitative PCR was used to detect and quantify the DNA of the jellyfish Aurelia coerulea in the gut contents of commercially important fish species from the Thau Lagoon. Individuals from five fish species were collected during two different periods: the bloom period, when the pelagic stages of A. coerulea are abundant, and the post-bloom period, when only the benthic stage – polyps – is present in the lagoon. The DNA of A. coerulea was detected in the guts of 41.9% of the fish analysed, belonging to four different species. The eel Anguilla anguilla and the seabream Sparus aurata were important jellyfish consumers during the bloom and post-bloom periods, respectively. These results provide new insights on the potential control of jellyfish populations and on jellyfish importance as a food source for exploited fishes.

The attitudes of Italian consumers towards jellyfish as novel food

The globalization of food markets and the recent upgrade of the European regulation on novel foods open up new possibilities for the introduction of edible jellyfish in the diet of Europeans. In spite of no tradition of eating jellyfish in Italy and, more generally, in Western countries, several Mediterranean jellyfish species have biological and nutritional features with a large potential as innovative, sustainable novel food and source of bioactive compounds. To evaluate the Italians’ attitude of considering jellyfish as food source, a survey has been carried out on a group of 1445 individuals. A questionnaire was designed to assess the jellyfish consumption attitude (JCA) of respondents and explore the effect of their individual traits (socio-demography, personality, behavior habits, neophobia, disgust sensitivity) on JCA. Gender, age, and travelling habits differently affected JCA. Possible culinary uses and food pairing of jellyfish were also significantly influenced by JCA. Individuals with the highest propensity to accept jellyfish as food are young people, familiar with the sea environment, with high education level or students, and frequent travelers. Food neophobia and sensitivity to disgust are confirmed as personality traits able to strongly impair the acceptability of a novel food. Finally, this work provides insights into the acceptance and rejection variables that should be taken into account when an unfamiliar new food product, such as jellyfish, is planned to be introduced in a new dietary culture and new markets.

Cryptic diets of forage fish: jellyfish consumption observed in the Celtic Sea and western English Channel.

To establish if fishes’ consumption of jellyfish changes through the year, we conducted a molecular gut‐content assessment on opportunistically sampled species from the Celtic Sea in October and compared these with samples previously collected in February and March from the Irish Sea. Mackerel Scomber scombrus were found to feed on hydrozoan jellyfish relatively frequently in autumn, with rare consumption also detected in sardine Sardina pilchardus and sprat Sprattus sprattus. By October, moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita appeared to have escaped predation, potentially through somatic growth and the development of stinging tentacles. This is in contrast with sampling in February and March where A. aurita ephyrae were heavily preyed upon. No significant change in predation rate was observed in S. sprattus, but jellyfish predation by S. scombrus feeding in autumn was significantly higher than that seen during winter. This increase in consumption appears to be driven by the consumption of different, smaller jellyfish species than were targeted during the winter.

Cómo “cucharear” dinero del mar:

La población del este de Asia ha consumido medusas por más de mil años. Por mucho tiempo, China ha sido el principal proveedor y consumidor. Fuerzas económicas y medio ambientales están empujando este mercado fuera de China y al interior de sociedades que no tienen tradición de captura ni consumo de medusas. La investigación, ejecutada alrededor de las comunidades de Bilwi y Tuapí, en la región autónoma del norte de Nicaragua, reporta la emergencia de una industria de producción de medusas a lo largo de la costa miskita en Nicaragua, lo cual parece tener un impacto significativo en la sociedad y economía locales. Esto está generando oportunidades de actividades asalariadas para los hombres miskitos, diferentes del buceo para capturar langostas, una ocupación peligrosa y frecuentemente mortal.

Jellyfish ingestion was safe for patients with crustaceans, cephalopods, and fish allergy.

Jellyfish ingestion was safe for patients with crustaceans, cephalopods, and fish allergy.

High occurrence of jellyfish predation by black-browed and Campbell albatross identified by DNA metabarcoding.

Gelatinous zooplankton are a large component of the animal biomass in all marine environments, but are considered to be uncommon in the diet of most marine top predators. However, the diets of key predator groups like seabirds have conventionally been assessed from stomach content analyses, which cannot detect most gelatinous prey. As marine top predators are used to identify changes in the overall species composition of marine ecosystems, such biases in dietary assessment may impact our detection of important ecosystem regime shifts. We investigated albatross diet using DNA metabarcoding of scats to assess the prevalence of gelatinous zooplankton consumption by two albatross species, one of which is used as an indicator species for ecosystem monitoring. Black-browed and Campbell albatross scats were collected from eight breeding colonies covering the circumpolar range of these birds over two consecutive breeding seasons. Fish was the main dietary item at most sites; however, cnidarian DNA, primarily from scyphozoan jellyfish, was present in 42% of samples overall and up to 80% of samples at some sites. Jellyfish was detected during all breeding stages and consumed by adults and chicks. Trawl fishery catches of jellyfish near the Falkland Islands indicate a similar frequency of jellyfish occurrence in albatross diets in years of high and low jellyfish availability, suggesting jellyfish consumption may be selective rather than opportunistic. Warmer oceans and overfishing of finfish are predicted to favour jellyfish population increases, and we demonstrate here that dietary DNA metabarcoding enables measurements of the contribution of gelatinous zooplankton to the diet of marine predators.

Evaluating energy flows through jellyfish and gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) and the effects of fishing on the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem

Abstract Fishery management production models tend to stress only the elements directly linked to fish (i.e. fish, fish food, and fish predators). Large coastal jellyfish are major consumers of plankton in heavily fished ecosystems; yet, they are frequently not included as model components. We explore the relationship between gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) and the large scyphozoan jellyfish (Aurelia spp. and Chrysaora sp.), and provide an examination of trophic energy transfer pathways to higher trophic levels in the northern Gulf of Mexico. A trophic network model developed within the ECOPATH framework was transformed to an end-to-end model to map foodweb energy flows. Relative changes in functional group productivity to varying gulf menhaden consumption rates, jellyfish consumption rates, and forage fish (i.e. gulf menhaden, anchovies, and herrings) harvest rates were evaluated within a suite of static, alternative energy-demand scenarios using ECOTRAN techniques. Scenario analyses revealed forage fish harvest enhanced jellyfish productivity, which, in turn, depressed menhaden productivity. Modelled increases in forage fish harvest caused pronounced changes in ecosystem structure, affecting jellyfish, marine birds, piscivorous fish, and apex predators. Menhaden were found to be a more efficient and important energy transfer pathway to higher trophic levels compared with jellyfish. A simulated increase in jellyfish abundance caused the relative production of all model groups to decline. These outcomes suggest that jellyfish blooms and forage fish harvest have demonstrable effects on the structure of the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

Resource Requirements of the Pacific Leatherback Turtle Population

The Pacific population of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) has drastically declined in the last 25 years. This decline has been linked to incidental capture by fisheries, egg and meat harvesting, and recently, to climate variability and resource limitation. Here we couple growth rates with feeding experiments and food intake functions to estimate daily energy requirements of leatherbacks throughout their development. We then estimate mortality rates from available data, enabling us to raise food intake (energy requirements) of the individual to the population level. We place energy requirements in context of available resources (i.e., gelatinous zooplankton abundance). Estimated consumption rates suggest that a single leatherback will eat upward of 1000 metric tonnes (t) of jellyfish in its lifetime (range 924–1112) with the Pacific population consuming 2.1×106 t of jellyfish annually (range 1.0–3.7×106) equivalent to 4.2×108 megajoules (MJ) (range 2.0–7.4×108). Model estimates suggest 2–7 yr-old juveniles comprise the majority of the Pacific leatherback population biomass and account for most of the jellyfish consumption (1.1×106 t of jellyfish or 2.2×108 MJ per year). Leatherbacks are large gelatinous zooplanktivores with consumption to biomass ratios of 96 (up to 192 if feeding strictly on low energy density Cnidarians); they, therefore, have a large capacity to impact gelatinous zooplankton landscapes. Understanding the leatherback's needs for gelatinous zooplankton, versus the availability of these resources, can help us better assess population trends and the influence of climate induced resource limitations to reproductive output.

Effects of diet and starvation on feeding in the scavenging neogastropod Bullia digitalis (Dillwyn)

Effects of body size, diet and starvation on feeding time, feeding cycle, feeding rate, absorption efficiency and growth potential in Bullia digitalis have been studied. Fed whelks were starved for 1, 4 or 8 wk before presentation of a poor-quality diet, jellyfish, or a rich one, the tunicate Pyura. Feeding time had a negative relationship to body size, ranging from 1 to 3 h for small whelks to between 0.6 to 1 h for adults. Diet affected feeding time only at the 1 wk starvation level when jellyfish was eaten in a shorter time. After prolonged starvation, it took a longer time to ingest either diet, indicating a detrimental effect on the physical process of feeding. Predicting the length of feeding cycles from body size was undependable since postfeeding duration became erratic after a long starvation period. Jellyfish feeding cycles shortened with protracted starvation unlike Pyura cycles, which showed no clear relationship with starvation interval. More Pyura was eaten than jellyfish as mg dry wt·meal −1 but as wet wt, 2 to 3 times more jellyfish was consumed. Starvation had no effect on meal size. Feeding rate (mg dry·d −1) was correlated positively with body size, while the influence of diet was marginal. Starvation had no effect on rates of jellyfish consumption whereas Pyura rates peaked after 1 wk but declined significantly with longer food deprivation. Absorption efficiencies were higher for Pyura than for jellyfish but both declined with increasing starvation. In contrast to Pyura, a diet of jellyfish resulted in negative growth potential for all whelk sizes and it is concluded that diet is the chief factor determining growth, rather than differences in meal size or feeding rates. Application of optimal foraging theory to B. digitalis is discussed.