Prevalence of parasites in the comb jelly, Mnemiopsis leidyi, size does matter.
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Paul Bologna
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 2:29 PM
Description
The comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) is a species of Ctenophora found in all world oceans. Their stance as a source of nutrition, specifically as a source of collagen for its predators, allows for the transfer of possible parasites it might host. Parasites known to inhabit M. leidyi like Edwardsia leidyi are relatively rare, but upon 236 dissections of M. leidyi, the prevalence of what appears to be an intermediate trematode parasite occurred in 67% of individuals. These parasites were more present in larger specimens and most abundant in August. As M. leidyi are important components of pelagic food webs, they are also a potential vector for parasites to be transferred to higher level consumers where they are able to progress developmentally. The presence of parasites is commonly excluded from the calculation of trophic interactions in food webs. This common exclusion of parasites from food webs is detrimental to gathering a full understanding of a given food webs dynamic, since parasites play a key role in regulating host populations and aid in the measuring of ecological stability.
Prevalence of parasites in the comb jelly, Mnemiopsis leidyi, size does matter.
The comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) is a species of Ctenophora found in all world oceans. Their stance as a source of nutrition, specifically as a source of collagen for its predators, allows for the transfer of possible parasites it might host. Parasites known to inhabit M. leidyi like Edwardsia leidyi are relatively rare, but upon 236 dissections of M. leidyi, the prevalence of what appears to be an intermediate trematode parasite occurred in 67% of individuals. These parasites were more present in larger specimens and most abundant in August. As M. leidyi are important components of pelagic food webs, they are also a potential vector for parasites to be transferred to higher level consumers where they are able to progress developmentally. The presence of parasites is commonly excluded from the calculation of trophic interactions in food webs. This common exclusion of parasites from food webs is detrimental to gathering a full understanding of a given food webs dynamic, since parasites play a key role in regulating host populations and aid in the measuring of ecological stability.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.