23 September 2018

Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Adriatic



During the summer we observed masses of this beautiful ctenophore, the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi. It is an alien species in the Adriatic, and one with a high destructive potential as it feeds on fish eggs and larvae, as well as on zooplankton. The comb jelly bloom has the potential to further compromise Adriatic fish stocks that have already been compromised by decades of overfishing.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)

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