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The effect of temperature on basal metabolism of Mnemiopsis leidyi

To evaluate the influence of temperature on metabolic performance on the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, we exposed fully acclimatized adults to conditions typical for the annual variability of the Western Baltic Sea region. We derived basal metabolic rates from oxygen consumption rates of adult M. leidyi specimens exposed to temperatures between 3.5°C to 20.5°C at a salinity of 22. We found a Q10 value of 3.67, which means that the carbon specific respiration rates are about 9 times greater at 20°C than 3°C. According to this rate, a small-sized individual 20 mm in oral-aboral length, would without feeding have enough nutrient reserves to survive 80 days at 3°C, but only 9 days at 20°C. Thus, prey availability during late summer is critical for M. leidyi population survival.