JBS-05 Siphonophores: biodiversity, ecology and their role in the ecosystem

 

These colonial hydrozoans can become very abundant during seasonal plankton blooms and may consume large numbers of copepods, fish eggs and larvae, other small planktonic organisms and in some species even small fish. Their size, tentacle morphology and feeding strategies vary greatly and prey consumed depends on the type and size of nematocyst batteries (Purcell 1981, 1984), the vertical strata occupied and any diel migrations undertaken. Prey capture has only been described in detail for two species (Chun 1891, Mackie & Marx 1988) and little information is available on numbers of individuals in siphonophore blooms, quantities of prey consumed per colony and the impact of siphonophores on pelagic food webs. Papers are invited on all topics relevant to the systematics, biology and ecology of siphonophores.

 

Chairs:

Gill Mapstone - The Natural History Museum, London (UK)

Aino Hosia - University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen (Norway)

Elena Guerrero - Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC (Spain)