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Caspian: Invasion of killer
jellyfish threatens fish stocks
JOURNALIST STORY
Antoine Blua, a EurasiaNet partner post from RFE/RL, 7 March 2004
04
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When an animal species suddenly appears in a new environment, the
consequences can be grim. While some species may quickly die off, others
thrive in their new surroundings, often to the point of posing a threat to
the existing ecological order. Such is the case with Mnemiopsis leidyi, a
fist-sized jellyfish that has spent the last decade menacing the waters of
the Caspian Sea. Also known as Leidy’s comb jelly, this organism’s arrival
has caused the Caspian’s fish stocks to plummet, affecting the livelihoods
of many local fishermen.
Zari Rustamov is from the village of Nardaran on Azerbaijan’s Apsheron
peninsula. He said his catches of sprats (kilki) have dwindled in the years
since the comb jelly first made an appearance. He said the jellyfish “is small
[and transparent], like water. We didn’t have this thing before. Sometimes
you look at the water, you reach out and your hands are full of them. And
when it’s there, there are no fish. Fish avoid getting close to them.”
The watery invader has a voracious appetite, devouring much of the Caspian
plankton that provides the sprats’ main sustenance. Furthermore, Mnemiopsis
reproduces at an alarming rate. It can double its size in a single day,
reach maturity within two weeks, and then lay as many as 1,200 eggs a day
for as long as several months.
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