TITLE:
Variability of the bioluminescence characteristics of the Black Sea ctenophores-aliens in connection with different conditions of nutrition
AUTHORS:
Mashukova Olga, Tokarev Yuriy
KEYWORDS:
Bioluminescence;Beroe ovata; Mnemiopsisleidyi;Black Sea; Nutrition
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.4 No.11,
October
28,
2013
ABSTRACT: Many ecological-physiological
characteristics of ctenophores-aliensMnemiopsis
leidyi A. Agassiz, 1865 and Beroe
ovata Mayer, 1912 are studied quite well because
they play a very important ecological role in the Black Sea ecosystem. However,
bioluminescence, one of the most important elements of the ctenophores ecology
and its connection with feeding regime were not studied sufficiently. Experiments
have shown that characteristics of the ctenophores bioluminescence differed
considerably in dependence of food supplies. Thus, amplitude and light-emitting
energy of the fed ctenophores B. ovata are maximal, 3 times more than analogical indices of
the just-caught individuals and 4 times more than ones of starving individuals.
More prolonged flash signal (to 3.5 s), which exceeds light-emitting duration
of the starving individuals twice, can be registered from the fed ctenophores. Investigation
of the M. leidyi bioluminescence has
shown that amplitude and light-emitting energy of the just-caught ctenophores
were two times more than those of the starving individuals. At the same time,
light-emitting amplitude of the fed individuals is 6.5 times and light-emitting
energy is 3 - 4 times higher than that of the just-caught ctenophores. The
light-emitting duration of the starving and justcaught organisms is practically
the same. The most prolonged signal is registered from the fed ctenophores—up
to 2.8 s. The data obtained testify that characteristics of the ctenophores
bioluminescence can be conditioned not only by nutritional value but by the
composition of the food as well.