Long-term fluctuations of Liriope tetraphylla in Villefranche bay between 1966 and 1993 compared to Pelagia noctiluca populations

Gauthier-Villars 1997

Fluctuations in the abundance of developmental stages and adults of the medusa Liriope tetraphylla were monitored from 1966 to 1993 in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer, Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. L. tetraphylla exhibited large interannual variations in both mean abundance level and seasonality, Cluster analysis was applied to classify as ''poor'', years with medium to scarce populations evenly distributed the year; as ''normal'', years with a population maximum during autumn as frequently observed in the Mediterranean; and as ''special'', years with strong population maxima localized in spring or summer. The changing jellyfish abundance levels appeared not to be reliably linked to long-term changes in sea water temperature and salinity, even if temperature strongly affects their seasonality and generation time, which was estimated here at four to seven weeks, respectively, during warm or cold months of the year. L. tetraphylla interannual trends were compared to those of the large scyphozoan medusa Pelagia noctiluca with undecennal blooming periods (data from literature and pers. obs.). Possible links with specific composition changes in the pelagic ecosystem are discussed.

jellyfish; Liriope tetraphylla; Pelagia noctiluca; long-term fluctuations; Mediterranean Sea; text; Article; info:eu-repo/semantics/article

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