Consumption of pelagic tunicates by cetacean calves in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Gelatinous zooplankton, including jellyfish, ctenophores and pelagic tunicates, constitute fragile marine animals that live in the water column, and represent an important resource for marine food webs through seasonal pulses. Although there is scarce evidence for gelatinous zooplankton occurring in the stomach contents of apex, endothermic predators such as cetaceans, the ecological significance of such observations requires consideration. We herein report the occurrence of pelagic tunicates in the stomach of three individual calves of two cetacean species from the western Mediterranean, and collate all previous reports of gelatinous zooplankton in cetacean diets. We briefly discuss the possible dietary significance of these observations.