Settlement of planulae of the Moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita onto hydrophilic polycarbonate plates modified by atmospheric plasma treatment.
It has been reported that planula larvae of some jellyfish prefer artificial substrates for settlement. This research focused on the relationship between the settlement of planulae and the wettability of artificial substrate surfaces. We used atmospheric plasmas to change the wettability of the surfaces of polycarbonate (PC) plates because plasma treatment has no chemical side effects. The treatment made the surfaces hydrophilic, as evidenced by the decrease of contact angle from 85° to 35°. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the change of wettability of the PC plates could be attributed to N2, which was probably ionized in the air above the plates. Scanning electron microscopy revealed no difference in the surface morphology of the plates before and after plasma treatment. Results of bioassays using treated PC plates showed that planulae tended to preferentially settle on hydrophobic surfaces.
Department of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Akiko
A
Tomaru
Department of Energy Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Ryota
R
Sasaki
Department of Energy Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Hidekazu
H
Miyahara
Department of Energy Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Akitoshi
A
Okino
Department of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Nobuhiro
N
Ogawa
Department of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Koji
K
Hamasaki
D000818:Animals; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D010949:Plasma; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013499:Surface Properties; D017155:Wettability
D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; C005506:polycarbonate