Settlement patterns of the scyphozoan Cyanea capillata (L.) planula: Effects of established scyphistomae and water flow

Abstract The effects of Cyanea capillata (L.) and Aurelia aurita (L.) scyphistomae on settlement of planulae of the scyphozoan C. capillata were investigated in flume and still water experiments. In a flume flow velocity of 1 cm sec−1, planulae settled in greater numbers among presettled conspecific scyphistomae than they did among scyphistomae of A. aurita at a scyphistoma mean density of 0.38 and 1.83 indo per cm2 respectively, or on unoccupied substratum. C. capillata planulae thus demonstrated gregarious behaviour at settlement under these conditions. At the same flow velocity, settlement at higher densities of conspecific scyphistomae decreased with increasing scyphistomae density; no effect of density was found in still water. Therefore, both density of conspecific scyphistomae and water flow induced factors influenced settlement of C. capillata planulae.

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