Trophic Positions of Polyp and Medusa Stages of the Freshwater Jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii Based on Stable Isotope Analysis
by
Sabine Gießler
1,*,
Tido Strauss
2,
Katrin Schachtl
1,
Thomas Jankowski
3,
Ramona Klotz
1 and
Herwig Stibor
1 1
Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Grosshaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
2
Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment (gaiac), Kackertstrasse 10, 52072 Aachen, Germany
3
Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Mainaustraße 252, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biology 2023, 12(6), 814; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12060814
Submission received: 1 April 2023
/
Revised: 19 May 2023
/
Accepted: 1 June 2023
/
Published: 3 June 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Characteristics and Genetic Population Structure of the Invasive Freshwater Jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii Species Complex)
Simple Summary
Reports of invasive species have increased dramatically in recent decades, raising public awareness. While human activities favor their spread, global warming is believed to promote the establishment of alien species and pose a major threat to native ecosystems. The freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta is an example of a globally successful spread, attracting public attention with its short-lived, eye-catching medusa blooms. Two life stages of this jellyfish are predators: the benthic polyps and the planktonic medusae. Both must meet the requirements in their new food webs to become established. We compared their niches with those of presumed native competitors and found a strong overlap for the medusa stage, suggesting high competition with native zooplanktonic predators and young fish. In contrast, the polyps of invasive Craspedacusta and native Hydra differed in their niches, possibly favoring a long-term invasion success of Craspedacusta.
Abstract
When species spread into new regions, competition with native species and predatory–prey relationships play a major role in whether the new species can successfully establish itself in the recipient food web and become invasive. In aquatic habitats, species with a metagenetic life cycle, such as the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta with benthic polyps and planktonic medusae, have to meet the requirements of two distinct life stages occurring in two habitats with different food webs. Here, we examined the trophic position of both life stages, known to be predatory, and compared their niches with those of putative native competitors using stable isotope analysis. We found that δ13C and δ15N signatures of medusae overlapped with those of co-occurring Chaoborus larvae and juvenile fish (Rutilus rutilus) in a well-studied lake, implying high competition with these native predators. The comparison of δ15N signatures of Hydra and Craspedacusta polyps in four additional lakes revealed their similar trophic position, matching their predatory lifestyle. However, their δ13C signatures differed not only across all four of the lakes studied but also within one lake over time, suggesting a preference for pelagic or benthic food sources. We conclude that invasive and native polyps differ in their niches due to different food spectra, which favors the invasion success of Craspedacusta.
