A New Species of Box Jellyfish, Carybdea Wayamba Sp. Nov

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A New Species of Box Jellyfish, Carybdea Wayamba Sp. Nov Plankton Benthos Res 15(4): 317–326, 2020 Plankton & Benthos Research © The Plankton Society of Japan A new species of box jellyfish, Carybdea wayamba sp. nov. (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa: Cubomedusae: Carybdeidae) from Sri Lanka Krishan D. Karunarathne & M.D.S.T. de Croos* Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Faculty of Livestock, Fisheries and Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila (NWP), 60170, Sri Lanka Received 27 March 2020; Accepted 8 September 2020 Responsible Editor: Dhugal Lindsay doi: 10.3800/pbr.15.317 Abstract: A new species of box jellyfish, Carybdea wayamba sp. nov. is described here based on forty specimens collected from the south and northeast coasts of Sri Lanka, with the type location being Bonavista Reef, Galle Bay. This species is classified in the genus Carybdea due to the possession of a typical heart-shaped rhopaliar niche ostia with only one upper scale and epaulette-shaped gastric phacellae in the four corners of the stomach. This new species can be distinguished from other valid members of the genus Carybdea by the combination of the structure of the two velarial canal roots per octant with one broadly bi-forked velarial canal with narrow, lateral lobations on each root, and other morphological characters such as having typical knee-shaped pedalial canal bends without any appendages, and epaulette-shaped gastric phacellae with single-rooted, brush-shaped, multiple (three to five) short-stemmed, dendriti- cally branched (both short and long branches) gastric filaments. This is the first novel cubomedusa described from Sri Lankan waters; and the first Carybdea species described with material from the North Indian Ocean. Key words: Indian Ocean, morphology, nematocysts, taxonomy ilies; for example, Carybdea sivickisi Stiasny, 1926 has Introduction been moved to the family Tripedaliidae while changing The cubomedusae included many doubtful taxa until the its genus name to Copula (Bentlage et al. 2010). Gershwin beginning of the 21st century. In several studies over the (2005a) recognized that Carybdea alata Reynaud, 1830 last two decades, biologists have revised the taxonomy of was in fact a whole species complex and transferred them this group (Gershwin 2005a, b, 2006a, Bentlage et al. 2010, to a separate family, Alatinidae, while changing the genus Bentlage & Lewis 2012, Lewis et al. 2013, Straehler-Pohl name to Alatina (Gershwin 2005b) based on morphological 2014, 2019a, b, 2020, Straehler-Pohl & Gul 2017, Acevedo and phylogenic differences. Likewise, Carybdea stiasnyi et al. 2019), but there are still some uncertainties to be Bigelow, 1938 was also transferred to the family Alati- clarified. In the classification of box jellyfish, Carybdei- nidae, while changing the genus name to Manokia (Ger- dae is a monotypic family containing the genus Carybdea, shwin 2005b). Some species, such as Carybdea periphylla which represents the oldest genus of box jellyfish estab- Péron & Lesueur, 1810, Carybdea pisifera Oken, 1815, and lished by Péron & Lesueur (1810), which was subsequently Carybdea bitentaculata Quoy & Gaimard, 1833 were not misspelled (e.g. Charybdea), by several authors between even box jellies and had to be transferred into other taxo- Milne-Edwards (1833) and Mayer (1910), before the origi- nomic groups. nal name, Carybdea was re-established by Kramp (1961). Thereafter, only a few valid species remained in the The genus Carybdea previously contained a number of genus Carybdea, with Carybdea marsupialis (Lin- species that are now contained in other carybdeid fam- naeus, 1758) being the type species (Acevedo et al. 2019, Straehler-Pohl 2019b). Maas (1903, 1910), Bigelow (1909, * Corresponding author: M.D.S.T. de Croos; E-mail, dileepa_dc@yahoo. 1938), Mayer (1910), and Kramp (1961) considered most of com, [email protected] these Carybdea species as varieties of C. marsupialis, and 318 K. D. Karunarathne & M.D.S.T. de Croos Carybdea rastonii Haacke, 1886 (Straehler-Pohl et al. 2017, Straehler-Pohl 2019a); however, Bentlage et al. (2010) and Bentlage & Lewis (2012) revealed that these were not sub- species or varieties; but different species that dwell in dis- tinct geographical areas of the world (Acevedo et al. 2019). Of the few records on Carybdea in the Indian Ocean, a single specimen of cubomedusa found from the pearl banks of Sri Lanka was predicted to be an immature spec- imen of Charybdea grandis Agassiz & Mayer, 1902 by Browne (1905); however, he classified it to be uncertain. Stiasny (1931) re-inspected the museum specimen, and re- identified it as C. alata [currently Alatina alata (Reynaud, 1830)]. Charybdea madraspatana Menon, 1930 was origi- nally described from Madras, India and was reassigned as Alatina madraspatana (Menon, 1930) in the family Alatinidae by Gershwin (2005b). Recently, C. marsupialis was identified by Kazmi & Sultana (2008) off the coast of Pakistan but this was doubted by Gul et al. (2015) and was reclassified by Straehler-Pohl & Gul (2017) as Alatina grandis (Agassiz & Mayer, 1902). Hence, there is only one reliable record of a valid species belonging to the genus Carybdea occurring in the Indian Ocean so far – the spe- cies described by Gershwin & Gibbons (2009) as Caryb- dea branchi Gershwin & Gibbons, 2009 from the South African coast (from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town), that was later reclassified by Straehler-Pohl (2020) as Carybdea murrayana Haeckel, 1880. Fig. 1. Localities of Carybdea wayamba sp. nov. sampled along Sri Lanka is a tropical island located close to the equa- the coast of Sri Lanka (open circles): 1. Galle Bay [6.0278°N, 80.2289°E] (n=16); 2. Ambalantota [6.0964°N, 80.9937°E] (n=3); tor, between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal in 3. Irakkandi [8.7238°N, 81.1850°E] (n=20); 4. Alampil [9.1877°N, the Indian Ocean. As a country, this geographical loca- 80.8609°E] (n=1). tion has become crucial to ensure a highly diverse marine faunal resource exists within the region (Keesing & Irvine 2005, Karunarathne & de Croos 2020). Due to the lack of species were collected by a towed net (diameter 1 m, mesh studies carried out so far, knowledge on the scyphozoans size 1 mm) and a scoop net (mesh size 5 mm) from four lo- that dwell in Sri Lankan waters is poor (Karunarathne et cations along the south and northeast coasts of the country al. 2020). When considering the diversity of Sri Lankan (Fig. 1). Water quality parameters (temperature, dissolved cubomedusae, only five species have been recorded; out of oxygen, pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, and turbidity) them, Chiropsoides buitendijki (Van der Horst, 1907) was of each sampling locality were measured by using a digital reported by Fernando (2001, 2006) after the A. alata iden- multiparameter instrument (HACH HQ 40 D), and a por- tification by Stiasny (1931). Recently, two additional cubo- table turbidity meter (HACH 2100P). Coordinates of the medusae belonging to the genera Chironex and Tripedalia sampling locations were recorded with a GPS unit (GAR- have been found in Sri Lanka (unpublished data of au- MIN 72H). thors). A commonly found Carybdea species in the coastal Seven different morphometric features of all medusae waters of Sri Lanka has also been reported (Karunarathne were measured while fresh according to Gershwin (2005a, & de Croos 2018), and it is described herein as the novel b) and Straehler-Pohl (2014). Here, the distance between species, Carybdea wayamba sp. nov., the ninth valid spe- the apex and the turnover of the bell below the rhopalium cies in the genus Carybdea. This is the first Carybdea spe- was measured as the bell height (BH). The diagonal bell cies ever described not only from Sri Lanka, but also from width (DBW) was measured as the distance between outer the entire North Indian Ocean. keels of pedalial base by laying specimens flat with two pedalia spread out to the left and right sides, and the other two facing up and down in the centre. The inter-rhopa- Materials and Methods lial width (IRW) (from the rhopalium to another adjacent A systematic, year-round jellyfish survey was carried rhopalium) was measured after laying the specimens flat. out in the pelagic zone of the continental shelf of Sri Lanka Across the widest area of the pedalia, the ‘pedalial width’ from March 2017 to April 2018. Forty (38 mature + 2 (PW) was measured, while the distance between the base immature) specimens belonging to the new box jellyfish and the distal end of the pedalium was measured as the Carybdea wayamba n. sp. from the Indian Ocean 319 pedalial length (PL). canal without appendage. Velarial canal roots 2 per octant, Two additional features were defined and measured; the with a broad, rounded, bident canal with narrow, lateral distance from the apex to the rhopalium (DAR) and the lobations on each root, all canals are equal in shape and distance between the rhopalium and the turnover of the complexity. Manubrium short, about one-third of the bell bell (DRT). If there was more than one measurement on height. Gastric phacellae, epaulette-shaped with single- a single morphometric character per individual medusa, rooted, multiple (typically three to five) short-stemmed, i.e., two DBW, four IRW, four DAR, four DRT, four PW dendritically branched (both short and long branches), (if the pedalia were unbroken), and four PL (if the pedalia brush-shaped gastric filaments. were unbroken), average values of them were calculated. Description (mature medusa). Bell: with thin, flimsy All measurements were performed using a digital caliper mesoglea; small to medium in size, up to 29.0 mm in life, to the nearest 0.1 mm. nearly cuboidal, with dome-shaped apex, smooth appear- After recording the morphometric characteristics, sam- ance as both apex and bell lack prominent nematocyst ples were preserved in 5% formalin-seawater solution for warts in live specimens, however, there are microscopic taxonomic examinations.
Recommended publications
  • Anatomia Associada Ao Comportamento Reprodutivo De
    Jimena García Rodríguez Anatomia associada ao comportamento reprodutivo de Cubozoa Anatomy associated with the reproductive behavior of Cubozoa São Paulo 2015 Jimena García Rodríguez Anatomia associada ao comportamento reprodutivo de Cubozoa Anatomy associated with the reproductive behavior of Cubozoa Dissertação apresentada ao Instituto de Biociências da Universidade de São Paulo para obtenção de Título de Mestre em Ciências, na Área de Zoologia Orientador: Prof. Dr. Antonio Carlos Marques São Paulo 2015 García Rodríguez, Jimena Anatomia associada ao comportamento reprodutivo de Cubozoa 96 páginas Dissertação (Mestrado) - Instituto de Biociências da Universidade de São Paulo. Departamento de Zoologia. 1. Cubozoa; 2. Histologia; 3. Reprodução. I. Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Biociências. Departamento de Zoologia. Comissão Julgadora Prof(a) Dr(a) Prof(a) Dr(a) Prof. Dr. Antonio Carlos Marques A mis padres, hermana y en especial a mi abuelita “Caminante, son tus huellas el camino y nada más; Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar. Al andar se hace el camino, y al volver la vista atrás se ve la senda que nunca se ha de volver a pisar. Caminante no hay camino sino estelas en la mar” Antonio Machado, 1912 Agradecimentos Em primeiro lugar, eu gostaria de agradecer ao meu orientador Antonio Carlos Marques, Tim, pela confiança desde o primeiro dia, pela ajuda tanto pessoal como profissional durante os dois anos de mestrado, pelas discussões de cada tema tratado e estudado e pelas orientações que tornaram possível a elaboração deste trabalho. Agradeço também o apoio institucional do Instituto de Biociências e do Centro de Biologia Marinha da Universidade de São Paulo.
    [Show full text]
  • Two New Species of Box Jellies (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Carybdeida)
    RECORDS OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM 29 010–019 (2014) DOI: 10.18195/issn.0312-3162.29(1).2014.010-019 Two new species of box jellies (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Carybdeida) from the central coast of Western Australia, both presumed to cause Irukandji syndrome Lisa-Ann Gershwin CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Castray Esplanade, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia. Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT – Irukandji jellies are of increasing interest as their stings are becoming more frequently reported around the world. Previously only two species were known from Western Australia, namely Carukia shinju Gershwin, 2005 and Malo maxima Gershwin, 2005, both from Broome. Two new species believed to cause Irukandji syndrome have recently been found and are described herein. One, Malo bella sp. nov., is from the Ningaloo Reef and Dampier Archipelago regions. It differs from its congeners in its small size at maturity, its statolith shape, irregular warts on the perradial lappets, and a unique combination of other traits outlined herein. This species is not associated with any particular stings, but its phylogenetic affi nity would suggest that it may be highly toxic. The second species, Keesingia gigas gen. et sp. nov., is from the Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef regions. This enormous species is unique in possessing key characters of three families, including crescentic phacellae and broadly winged pedalia (Alatinidae) and deeply incised rhopalial niches and feathery diverticulations on the velarial canals (Carukiidae and Tamoyidae). These two new species bring the total species known or believed to cause Irukandji syndrome to at least 16. Research into the biology and ecology of these species should be considered a high priority, in order to manage their potential impacts on public safety.
    [Show full text]
  • Comprehensive Phylogenomic Analyses Resolve Cnidarian Relationships and the Origins of Key Organismal Traits
    Comprehensive phylogenomic analyses resolve cnidarian relationships and the origins of key organismal traits Ehsan Kayal1,2, Bastian Bentlage1,3, M. Sabrina Pankey5, Aki H. Ohdera4, Monica Medina4, David C. Plachetzki5*, Allen G. Collins1,6, Joseph F. Ryan7,8* Authors Institutions: 1. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution 2. UPMC, CNRS, FR2424, ABiMS, Station Biologique, 29680 Roscoff, France 3. Marine Laboratory, university of Guam, UOG Station, Mangilao, GU 96923, USA 4. Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA 5. Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA 6. National Systematics Laboratory, NOAA Fisheries, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution 7. Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, St Augustine, FL, USA 8. Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA PeerJ Preprints | https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.3172v1 | CC BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 21 Aug 2017, publ: 21 Aug 20171 Abstract Background: The phylogeny of Cnidaria has been a source of debate for decades, during which nearly all-possible relationships among the major lineages have been proposed. The ecological success of Cnidaria is predicated on several fascinating organismal innovations including symbiosis, colonial body plans and elaborate life histories, however, understanding the origins and subsequent diversification of these traits remains difficult due to persistent uncertainty surrounding the evolutionary relationships within Cnidaria. While recent phylogenomic studies have advanced our knowledge of the cnidarian tree of life, no analysis to date has included genome scale data for each major cnidarian lineage. Results: Here we describe a well-supported hypothesis for cnidarian phylogeny based on phylogenomic analyses of new and existing genome scale data that includes representatives of all cnidarian classes.
    [Show full text]
  • Population Structures and Levels of Connectivity for Scyphozoan and Cubozoan Jellyfish
    diversity Review Population Structures and Levels of Connectivity for Scyphozoan and Cubozoan Jellyfish Michael J. Kingsford * , Jodie A. Schlaefer and Scott J. Morrissey Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; [email protected] (J.A.S.); [email protected] (S.J.M.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Understanding the hierarchy of populations from the scale of metapopulations to mesopop- ulations and member local populations is fundamental to understanding the population dynamics of any species. Jellyfish by definition are planktonic and it would be assumed that connectivity would be high among local populations, and that populations would minimally vary in both ecological and genetic clade-level differences over broad spatial scales (i.e., hundreds to thousands of km). Although data exists on the connectivity of scyphozoan jellyfish, there are few data on cubozoans. Cubozoans are capable swimmers and have more complex and sophisticated visual abilities than scyphozoans. We predict, therefore, that cubozoans have the potential to have finer spatial scale differences in population structure than their relatives, the scyphozoans. Here we review the data available on the population structures of scyphozoans and what is known about cubozoans. The evidence from realized connectivity and estimates of potential connectivity for scyphozoans indicates the following. Some jellyfish taxa have a large metapopulation and very large stocks (>1000 s of km), while others have clade-level differences on the scale of tens of km. Data on distributions, genetics of medusa and Citation: Kingsford, M.J.; Schlaefer, polyps, statolith shape, elemental chemistry of statoliths and biophysical modelling of connectivity J.A.; Morrissey, S.J.
    [Show full text]
  • Bioinvasions in the Mediterranean Sea 2 7
    Metamorphoses: Bioinvasions in the Mediterranean Sea 2 7 B. S. Galil and Menachem Goren Abstract Six hundred and eighty alien marine multicellular species have been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, with many establishing viable populations and dispersing along its coastline. A brief history of bioinvasions research in the Mediterranean Sea is presented. Particular attention is paid to gelatinous invasive species: the temporal and spatial spread of four alien scyphozoans and two alien ctenophores is outlined. We highlight few of the dis- cernible, and sometimes dramatic, physical alterations to habitats associated with invasive aliens in the Mediterranean littoral, as well as food web interactions of alien and native fi sh. The propagule pressure driving the Erythraean invasion is powerful in the establishment and spread of alien species in the eastern and central Mediterranean. The implications of the enlargement of Suez Canal, refl ecting patterns in global trade and economy, are briefl y discussed. Keywords Alien • Vectors • Trends • Propagule pressure • Trophic levels • Jellyfi sh • Mediterranean Sea Brief History of Bioinvasion Research came suddenly with the much publicized plans of the in the Mediterranean Sea Saint- Simonians for a “Canal de jonction des deux mers” at the Isthmus of Suez. Even before the Suez Canal was fully The eminent European marine naturalists of the sixteenth excavated, the French zoologist Léon Vaillant ( 1865 ) argued century – Belon, Rondelet, Salviani, Gesner and Aldrovandi – that the breaching of the isthmus will bring about species recorded solely species native to the Mediterranean Sea, migration and mixing of faunas, and advocated what would though mercantile horizons have already expanded with be considered nowadays a ‘baseline study’.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecosystems Mario V
    Ecosystems Mario V. Balzan, Abed El Rahman Hassoun, Najet Aroua, Virginie Baldy, Magda Bou Dagher, Cristina Branquinho, Jean-Claude Dutay, Monia El Bour, Frédéric Médail, Meryem Mojtahid, et al. To cite this version: Mario V. Balzan, Abed El Rahman Hassoun, Najet Aroua, Virginie Baldy, Magda Bou Dagher, et al.. Ecosystems. Cramer W, Guiot J, Marini K. Climate and Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Basin -Current Situation and Risks for the Future, Union for the Mediterranean, Plan Bleu, UNEP/MAP, Marseille, France, pp.323-468, 2021, ISBN: 978-2-9577416-0-1. hal-03210122 HAL Id: hal-03210122 https://hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03210122 Submitted on 28 Apr 2021 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Climate and Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Basin – Current Situation and Risks for the Future First Mediterranean Assessment Report (MAR1) Chapter 4 Ecosystems Coordinating Lead Authors: Mario V. Balzan (Malta), Abed El Rahman Hassoun (Lebanon) Lead Authors: Najet Aroua (Algeria), Virginie Baldy (France), Magda Bou Dagher (Lebanon), Cristina Branquinho (Portugal), Jean-Claude Dutay (France), Monia El Bour (Tunisia), Frédéric Médail (France), Meryem Mojtahid (Morocco/France), Alejandra Morán-Ordóñez (Spain), Pier Paolo Roggero (Italy), Sergio Rossi Heras (Italy), Bertrand Schatz (France), Ioannis N.
    [Show full text]
  • Pelagia Benovici Sp. Nov. (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa): a New Jellyfish in the Mediterranean Sea
    Zootaxa 3794 (3): 455–468 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3794.3.7 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3DBA821B-D43C-43E3-9E5D-8060AC2150C7 Pelagia benovici sp. nov. (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa): a new jellyfish in the Mediterranean Sea STEFANO PIRAINO1,2,5, GIORGIO AGLIERI1,2,5, LUIS MARTELL1, CARLOTTA MAZZOLDI3, VALENTINA MELLI3, GIACOMO MILISENDA1,2, SIMONETTA SCORRANO1,2 & FERDINANDO BOERO1, 2, 4 1Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, Università del Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy 2CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, Roma 3Dipartimento di Biologia e Stazione Idrobiologica Umberto D’Ancona, Chioggia, Università di Padova. 4 CNR – Istituto di Scienze Marine, Genova 5Corresponding authors: [email protected], [email protected] Abstract A bloom of an unknown semaestome jellyfish species was recorded in the North Adriatic Sea from September 2013 to early 2014. Morphological analysis of several specimens showed distinct differences from other known semaestome spe- cies in the Mediterranean Sea and unquestionably identified them as belonging to a new pelagiid species within genus Pelagia. The new species is morphologically distinct from P. noctiluca, currently the only recognized valid species in the genus, and from other doubtful Pelagia species recorded from other areas of the world. Molecular analyses of mitochon- drial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA genes corroborate its specific distinction from P. noctiluca and other pelagiid taxa, supporting the monophyly of Pelagiidae. Thus, we describe Pelagia benovici sp.
    [Show full text]
  • Recruitment of Toxin-Like Proteins with Ancestral Venom Function Supports Endoparasitic Lifestyles of Myxozoa
    Recruitment of toxin-like proteins with ancestral venom function supports endoparasitic lifestyles of Myxozoa Ashlie Hartigan1,2,*, Adrian Jaimes-Becerra3,*, Beth Okamura1, Liam B. Doonan2, Malcolm Ward4, Antonio C. Marques3 and Paul F. Long2,5 1 Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom 2 Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King’s College London, University of London, London, United Kingdom 3 Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 4 Aulesa Biosciences Ltd, Shefford, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom 5 Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil * These authors contributed equally to this work. ABSTRACT Cnidarians are the oldest lineage of venomous animals and use nematocysts to discharge toxins. Whether venom toxins have been recruited to support parasitic lifestyles in the Endocnidozoa (Myxozoa + Polypodium) is, however, unknown. To examine this issue we variously employed transcriptomic, proteomic, associated molecular phylogenies, and localisation studies on representative primitive and derived myxozoans (Malacosporea and Myxosporea, respectively), Polypodium hydriforme, and the free-living staurozoan Calvadosia cruxmelitensis. Our transcriptomics and proteomics analyses provide evidence for expression and translation of venom toxin homologs in myxozoans. Phylogenetic placement of Kunitz type serine protease inhibitors and phospholipase A2 enzymes reveals modification of toxins inherited from ancestral free-living cnidarian toxins, and that venom diversity is reduced in myxozoans concordant with their reduced genome sizes. Various phylogenetic analyses of the Kunitz-type toxin family in Endocnidozoa Submitted 7 December 2020 suggested lineage-specific gene duplications, which offers a possible mechanism for Accepted 12 March 2021 fi Published 26 April 2021 enhancing toxin diversi cation.
    [Show full text]
  • First Records of Three Cepheid Jellyfish Species from Sri Lanka With
    Sri Lanka J. Aquat. Sci. 25(2) (2020): 45-55 http://doi.org/10.4038/sljas.v25i2.7576 First records of three cepheid jellyfish species from Sri Lanka with redescription of the genus Marivagia Galil and Gershwin, 2010 (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae: Cepheidae) Krishan D. Karunarathne and M.D.S.T. de Croos* Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Faculty of Livestock, Fisheries and Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila (NWP), 60170, Sri Lanka. *Correspondence ([email protected], [email protected]) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4449-6573 Received: 09.02.2020 Revised: 01.08.2020 Accepted: 17.08.2020 Published online: 15.09.2020 Abstract Cepheid medusae appeared in great numbers in the northeastern coastal waters of Sri Lanka during the non- monsoon period (March to October) posing adverse threats to fisheries and coastal tourism, but the taxonomic status of these jellyfishes was unknown. Therefore, an inclusive study on jellyfish was carried out from November 2016 to July 2019 for taxonomic identification of the species found in coastal waters. In this study, three species of cepheid mild stingers, Cephea cephea, Marivagia stellata, and Netrostoma setouchianum were reported for the first time in Sri Lankan waters. Moreover, the diagnostic description of the genus Marivagia is revised in this study due to the possessing of appendages on both oral arms and arm disc of Sri Lankan specimens, comparing with original notes and photographs of M. stellata. Keywords: Indian Ocean, invasiveness, medusae, morphology, taxonomy INTRODUCTION relationships with other fauna (Purcell and Arai 2001), and even dead jellyfish blooms can The class Scyphozoa under the phylum Cnidaria transfer mass quantities of nutrients into the sea consists of true jellyfishes.
    [Show full text]
  • Biology, Ecology and Ecophysiology of the Box Jellyfish Biology, Ecology and Ecophysiology of the Box Jellyfishcarybdea Marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa)
    Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box M. J. ACEVEDO jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) Carybdea marsupialis MELISSA J. ACEVEDO DUDLEY PhD Thesis September 2016 Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box jellyfish Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box jellyfishCarybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) Biologia, ecologia i ecofisiologia de la cubomedusa Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) Melissa Judith Acevedo Dudley Memòria presentada per optar al grau de Doctor per la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Programa de Doctorat en Ciències del Mar (RD 99/2011). Tesi realitzada a l’Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC). Director: Dr. Albert Calbet (ICM-CSIC) Co-directora: Dra. Verónica Fuentes (ICM-CSIC) Tutor/Ponent: Dr. Xavier Gironella (UPC) Barcelona – Setembre 2016 The author has been financed by a FI-DGR pre-doctoral fellowship (AGAUR, Generalitat de Catalunya). The research presented in this thesis has been carried out in the framework of the LIFE CUBOMED project (LIFE08 NAT/ES/0064). The design in the cover is a modification of an original drawing by Ernesto Azzurro. “There is always an open book for all eyes: nature” Jean Jacques Rousseau “The growth of human populations is exerting an unbearable pressure on natural systems that, obviously, are on the edge of collapse […] the principles we invented to regulate our activities (economy, with its infinite growth) are in conflict with natural principles (ecology, with the finiteness of natural systems) […] Jellyfish are just a symptom of this
    [Show full text]
  • Seasonality, Interannual Variation and Distribution of Carybdea Marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) in the Mediterranean Coast: Influence of Human Impacts
    5th International Jellyfish Bloom Symposium Barcelona May 30 - June 3, 2016 Seasonality, interannual variation and distribution of Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) in the Mediterranean coast: influence of human impacts JBS-07 / Oral Presentation_05 Melissa J. Acevedo1, Antonio Canepa2, César Bordehore3, Mar Bosch-Belmar4, Cristina Alonso3, Sabrina Zappu5, Elia Durà3, Alan Deidun6, Stefano Piraino4, Albert Calbet1, Verónica Fuentes1 1 Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain 2 Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile 3 Departamento de Ecología e Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramon Margalef” IMEM, Universidad de Alicante, Spain 4 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Italy 5 Department of Environmental Sciences and Territory, University of Sassari, Italy 6 IOI – Malta Operational Centre, University of Malta, Malta This study addresses the seasonal and interannual variability in box jellyfish abundance for a population of Carybdea marsupialis monitored along the coast of Denia (NW Mediterranean, Spain). Environmental data and cubomedusae density have been monthly recorded from March 2010 to December 2013. Environmental variables registered included water temperature, salinity, nutrients concentration (i.e. DIN, phosphate and silicon), chlorophyll concentration and zooplankton abundance and composition. Generalized Additive Models (GAM) have been fitted to understand the relationships of aforementioned environmental variables and C. marsupialis abundance. Salinity and chlorophyll concentration have been reported as the most important variables influencing C. marsupialis abundance, as well as N and P concentrations. Also, LUSI (Land Use Simplified Index) showed a positive correlation with the presence of this box jellyfish; this index reflects the impact of nutrient inputs along the coast.
    [Show full text]
  • Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae: Cepheidae) from the Lebanese Waters in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
    J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment Vol. 25, No. 2: 172-177 (2019) SHORT COMMUNICATION First record of Marivagia stellata Galil and Gershwin, 2010 (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae: Cepheidae) from the Lebanese waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea Ghazi Bitar *, Ali Badreddine Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut, LEBANON *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Marivagia stellata Galil and Gershwin, 2010 was reported for the first time from the Lebanese waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. This Indo-Pacific jellyfish was observed in 2015 during a field work. The present note reports its details in the Lebanese waters. Keywords: Indo-Pacific jellyfish, Marivagia stellata, Lebanese waters Received: 29.05.2019, Accepted: 29.06.2019 The Mediterranean Sea is severely affected by alien species: 986 exotic species are recorded in this basin, representing 6% of the total number of species. Interestingly, 775 of them are established in the eastern basin, mostly (88.4 %) from the Indo-Pacific and tropical Atlantic, and 108 are considered as invasive (Zenetos et al. 2010; 2012). In particular, new invasions of jellyfish are increasingly reported in the Mediterranean Sea in recent years: 13 invasive species which represent 3% of the known jellyfish species in the Mediterranean Sea were reported (Brotz and Pauly 2012; Mizrahi et al. 2015; Oztürk et al. 2018; Mamish et al. 2019). Since the opening of the Suez Canal, the Lebanese waters have been colonized by many exotic species, especially from the Red Sea. Concerning jellyfish, two lessepsian species have been recorded in the Lebanese waters (Lakkis 2013): Rhopilema nomadica (Brotz and Pauly 2012) and Cassiopea andromeda (Forsskål, 1775).
    [Show full text]