• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2012

Physical properties such as sound speed contrast (h) and density contrast (g) of the interested target are key parameters to understand acoustic characteristics by using theoretical scattering models. The density and sound speed of moon jellyfish (common jellyfish, Aurelia aurita s.l.) were measured. Sound speed contrast (h) was measured from travel time difference (time-of-flight method) of an acoustic signal in a water tank for APOP studies (Acoustic Properties Of zooplankton). Density contrast (g) was measured by the displacement volume and wet weight (dual-density method). The sound speed remained almost constant as the moon jellyfish increased in bell length. The mean values${\pm}$standard deviation of h and g were $1.0005{\pm}0.0012$ and $0.9808{\pm}0.0195$), respectively. These results will provide important input for use in theoretical scattering models for estimating the acoustic target strength of jellyfish.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.205-217
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• 2013

We investigated the population dynamics of Aurelia aurita in Sihwa Lake from April to October in 2009. Salinity ranged from 5.9 to 30.7 psu at the surface. Abundance of mesozooplankton ranged from 3 to 111,874 indiv. $m^{-3}$. Ephyrae occurred from April to May with the peak in abundance occurring on 17 April. Maximum density of ephyrae was observed near the power transmission towers that are known to be habitats of polyps. Mortality of ephyrae was lower than in other areas because of the abundant prey concentration and the absence of predators. Young medusae occurred from April to July with the peak in abundance occurring on 8 May. Adult medusae occurred from May to July with the peak in abundance on 25 June and they disappeared before the rainy season. Planula occurred only in May and June with the peak in abundance on 25 June. Growth rates of Aurelia aurita ranged from -0.06 to 0.34 $d^{-1}$, and decreased rapidly after May. The period in which adult medusa occurred was restricted, compared with those in other area in Korea (e.g., Masan Bay) and Japan (e.g., Tokyo Bay). In the period of this study, the available food was limited in June and salinity decreased to ca. 20 psu in May because of the beginning of the wet season. We assumed that the exceptionally short period of occurrence of the medusa may be a response of adults to changes in temperature, salinity or food limitation which leads to the precocious maturation of young medusa and the release of planula and that the brief occurrence of medusa was caused by an abrupt decrease in activity after the release of planula.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2015

To determine the predation rate of threadsail filefish, we conducted feeding experiment of threadsail filefish, Stephanolepis cirrhifer on different life stages (medusae, ephyrae, and polyps) of Aurelia aurita s.l. in the laboratory. All size groups of threadsail filefish actively preyed on moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita s.l. and predation rate was proportional to the wet weight of threadsail filefish. Average wet weight 0.5, 1, 2.2 g of threadsail filefish preyed on average $0.77{\pm}0.51g\;fish^{-1}h^{-1}$ of medusae. Average wet weight 150 and 344 g of threadsail filefish preyed on $9.26{\pm}1.61$ and $15.89{\pm}3.67g\;fish^{-1}h^{-1}$ of medusae respectively. In ephyrae and polyps, average wet weight 3.7 g of juvenile of threadsail filefish preyed on 100 ephyrae within 10 minutes and average wet weight 2.2 g of juvenile of threadsail filefish preyed on $5.73{\pm}0.59$ polyps $g^{-1}$ of fish $h^{-1}$. Whereas adults of threadsail filefish did not prey on polyps. In feeding preference experiments to elucidate whether threadsail filefish prey on moon jellyfish in the sea, adults of threadsail filefish preyed on mostly oysters (ca. 60%) and polychaetes (ca. 80%). Medusae were consumed only 2% of total. However, juvenile of threadsail filefish preyed on ephyrae and polyps as well as mysid shrimps. Besides, polyps were consistently consumed during the experiment. Although juvenile of threadsail filefish consumed all kinds of prey, they ceased feeding at temperatures below $11^{\circ}C$, which suggests that possibility of predation on ephyrae may be very low in the sea because ephyrae are released at low temperatures below $11^{\circ}C$ from March to April. Whereas polyps are inhabitable in all seasons in Korean coastal waters, juvenile of threadsail filefish may prey on polyps in the sea. These results suggest that removing moon jellyfish at polyp stage by using juvenile of threadsail filefish is the most effective way for extermination of moon jellyfish.