| LARSON, R.J., 1997. Feeding behaviour of Caribbean Scyphomedusae: Cassiopea frondosa (Pallas) and Cassiopea xamachana (Bigelow). Studies Nat. Hist. Caribbean Region 73, Amsterdam 1997: 43-54. Cassiopea frondosa and C. xamachana are carnivorous. Prey are filtered from the water by the pumping activity of the umbrella. Prey, predominantly small epibenthic crustaceans (0.2- 10 mm in length) are caught mostly by interception. However, some prey may impact on the oral surface through turbulence or by their own locomotion. Prey capture was essentially the same for both species, except that the vesicles take an active part in prey capture only in C. frondosa. Ingestion occurred after the digitate-fringed lips of the funnel-shaped oral ostia opened. The digitata... |
