Individual shrinking to enhance population survival: Quantifying the reproductive and metabolic expenditures of a starving jellyfish, Pelagia noctiluca

Abstract

The holoplanktonic jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca is renowned for periods of high abundance, causing considerable problems to tourism and aquaculture. Little is understood about the drivers of its periodic presence and absence or how it survives unfavourable periods. Studying the effect of starvation, we evaluated the main metabolic expenses (reproduction, respiration and excretion) during those periods. P. noctiluca could shrink in size, losing up to 85% of their mass (6.6-7.1% loss day-1), while continuing to release eggs quasi-daily over a 28-day period. Egg production was proportional to size (mean 759 eggs day-1 at 6 cm bell diameter), with up to 19 526 eggs released in a single spawn, thereby providing huge potential for population growth despite undergoing starvation. Small food rations decreased the rate of shrinking to 3.1% day-1, prolonging life (49 days), potentially enhancing the chances of encountering more prey and regrowing. Metabolism increased with wet mass (allometric exponent: 0.93 for respiration, 0.82 for ammonium), however reproduction was the greatest carbon expenditure for individuals larger than 9 cm bell diameter. Temperature (9-29°C) also significantly increased both respiration and, to a greater extent, excretion (Q10 = 2.25 and 4.76). Consequentially a warming ocean may negatively affect survival rates unless prey abundance balances the increased metabolic demands.