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

Type Article
Date 2019-12
Language English
Author(s) Marques Raquel2, Darnaude Audrey M.2, Crochemore Sandrine1, Bouvier Corinne2, Bonnet Delphine1
Affiliation(s) 1 : MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
2 : MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
Source Marine Environmental Research (0141-1136) (Elsevier BV), 2019-12 , Vol. 152 , P. 104787 (7p.)
DOI 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.104787
WOS© Times Cited 7
Keyword(s) Predation, Aurelia coerulea, Eel, Seabream, Polyps, Medusae, Quantitative PCR, Gut content, Thau lagoon
Abstract

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.

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