Understanding Cassiopea andromeda (Scyphozoa) Invasiveness in Different Habitats: A Multiple Biomarker Comparison
Jorge Thé
Marta Mammone
Stefano Piraino
Antonio Pennetta
Giuseppe De Benedetto
Tatiane Garcia
Marcelo de Oliveira Soares
Sergio Rossi
Abstract
A dual nutrition mode (i.e., mixotrophy) can be advantageous for alien species in a new environment. In Cearà (Brazil), the symbiotic jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda is rapidly spreading under diverse environmental conditions across natural and human-altered coastal habitats, such as mangroves and shrimp farms. Here we report on the trophic ecology of the alien upside-down jellyfish sampled in these two contrasting coastal habitats during the dry (July–October) and rainy (January–April) seasons, investigated by means of organic biomarkers (lipids, carbohydrates) and bulk tissue stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) analyses. Total lipid content of jellyfish gonads was generally higher in shrimp farms, whereas no significant difference in carbohydrate concentration was found in jellyfish tissues from the two different habitats. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the δ15N values of jellyfish tissues from the two contrasting habitats, whereas the δ13C values were higher in jellyfish from shrimp farms. Overall, the higher carbon-enriched value in aquaculture ponds supports the hypothesis of differences of available food sources compared to the natural mangrove habitats, where food availability exhibits a stronger seasonality. In fact, aquaculture ponds are characterized by human-driven regular food supply, leading to more stable trophic conditions and to enhanced growth, lipid production, and gonadal output of C. andromeda jellyfish. This investigation may contribute to predicting how Cassiopea mixotrophy may contribute to explaining its differential success in different habitats.
Thé J., Mammone M., Piraino S., Pennetta A., De Benedetto G., Garcia T., de Oliveira Soares M. and Rossi S. (2023) Understanding Cassiopea andromeda (Scyphozoa) Invasiveness in Different Habitats: A Multiple Biomarker Comparison. Water 15(14): 2599. 10.3390/w15142599
@article{Thé2023,
Title = {Understanding Cassiopea andromeda (Scyphozoa) Invasiveness in Different Habitats: A Multiple Biomarker Comparison},
Author = {Thé, Jorge and Mammone, Marta and Piraino, Stefano and Pennetta, Antonio and De Benedetto, Giuseppe and Garcia, Tatiane and de Oliveira Soares, Marcelo and Rossi, Sergio},
Editor = {},
Journal = {Water},
Year = {2023},
Pages = {2599},
Volume = {15},
Doi = {10.3390/w15142599},
Abstract = {A dual nutrition mode (i.e., mixotrophy) can be advantageous for alien species in a new environment. In Cearà (Brazil), the symbiotic jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda is rapidly spreading under diverse environmental conditions across natural and human-altered coastal habitats, such as mangroves and shrimp farms. Here we report on the trophic ecology of the alien upside-down jellyfish sampled in these two contrasting coastal habitats during the dry (July–October) and rainy (January–April) seasons, investigated by means of organic biomarkers (lipids, carbohydrates) and bulk tissue stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) analyses. Total lipid content of jellyfish gonads was generally higher in shrimp farms, whereas no significant difference in carbohydrate concentration was found in jellyfish tissues from the two different habitats. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the δ15N values of jellyfish tissues from the two contrasting habitats, whereas the δ13C values were higher in jellyfish from shrimp farms. Overall, the higher carbon-enriched value in aquaculture ponds supports the hypothesis of differences of available food sources compared to the natural mangrove habitats, where food availability exhibits a stronger seasonality. In fact, aquaculture ponds are characterized by human-driven regular food supply, leading to more stable trophic conditions and to enhanced growth, lipid production, and gonadal output of C. andromeda jellyfish. This investigation may contribute to predicting how Cassiopea mixotrophy may contribute to explaining its differential success in different habitats.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Thé, Jorge
AU - Mammone, Marta
AU - Piraino, Stefano
AU - Pennetta, Antonio
AU - De Benedetto, Giuseppe
AU - Garcia, Tatiane
AU - de Oliveira Soares, Marcelo
AU - Rossi, Sergio
TI - Understanding Cassiopea andromeda (Scyphozoa) Invasiveness in Different Habitats: A Multiple Biomarker Comparison
T2 - Water
PY - 2023
SP - 2599
VL - 15
DO - 10.3390/w15142599
AB - A dual nutrition mode (i.e., mixotrophy) can be advantageous for alien species in a new environment. In Cearà (Brazil), the symbiotic jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda is rapidly spreading under diverse environmental conditions across natural and human-altered coastal habitats, such as mangroves and shrimp farms. Here we report on the trophic ecology of the alien upside-down jellyfish sampled in these two contrasting coastal habitats during the dry (July–October) and rainy (January–April) seasons, investigated by means of organic biomarkers (lipids, carbohydrates) and bulk tissue stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) analyses. Total lipid content of jellyfish gonads was generally higher in shrimp farms, whereas no significant difference in carbohydrate concentration was found in jellyfish tissues from the two different habitats. Similarly, there were no significant differences in the δ15N values of jellyfish tissues from the two contrasting habitats, whereas the δ13C values were higher in jellyfish from shrimp farms. Overall, the higher carbon-enriched value in aquaculture ponds supports the hypothesis of differences of available food sources compared to the natural mangrove habitats, where food availability exhibits a stronger seasonality. In fact, aquaculture ponds are characterized by human-driven regular food supply, leading to more stable trophic conditions and to enhanced growth, lipid production, and gonadal output of C. andromeda jellyfish. This investigation may contribute to predicting how Cassiopea mixotrophy may contribute to explaining its differential success in different habitats.
ER -
