All non-indigenous species were introduced recently? The case study of Cassiopea (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) in Brazilian waters

2016/04/05 by André C. Morandini, Sergio N. Stampar, Sérgio N. Stampar +3 · 80 citations
Arts and Humanities · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Andromeda #Biology #Cnidaria #Coral #Ecology #Genus #Geography #Hydrozoa #Jellyfish #Joseph Conrad and Literature #Marine Ecology and Invasive Species #Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology #Scyphozoa #Zoology

paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s0025315416000400

published in Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 97(2), 321-328 (Cambridge University Press)

openalex publication_date 2016/04/05 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

Upside-down jellyfish (genus Cassiopea ) can be found in tropical coastal waters worldwide. Until now reports of the genus from Brazilian waters have been scant. We report here medusae and scyphistomae collected from Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro state. Although we could not unambiguously identify the material using morphological criteria, genetic sequence data (COI) indicate that the Brazilian jellyfishes are genetically similar to those from Bermuda, Hawaii and Florida, which are related to specimens from the Red Sea ( Cassiopea andromeda ). We hypothesize that the presence of C. andromeda in Brazil is due to an invasion event, as the scyphistomae were found growing over the known invasive ascidian Styela plicata . Estimation of divergence time between Brazil (Cabo Frio) and Florida/Bermuda populations is that it occurred at the beginning of ship movement to South America.

Cited by

• Juvenile Cassiopea andromeda medusae are resistant to multiple thermal stress events
• Regenerative Capacity of the Upside-down Jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana . [europepmc]
• Amoebocytes facilitate efficient carbon and nitrogen assimilation in the Cassiopea -Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis. [europepmc]
• Planktonic associations between medusae (classes Scyphozoa and Hydrozoa) and epifaunal crustaceans. [europepmc]
• Biochemical Characterization of Cassiopea andromeda (Forsskål, 1775), Another Red Sea Jellyfish in the Western Mediterranean Sea. [europepmc]
• Raising Awareness of the Severity of "Contactless Stings" by Cassiopea Jellyfish and Kin. [europepmc]
• Snapshot of the Distribution and Biology of Alien Jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda (Forsskål, 1775) in a Mediterranean Touristic Harbour. [europepmc]
• Neospongodes atlantica , a potential case of an early biological introduction in the Southwestern Atlantic. [europepmc]
• Reproductive cycle and gonadal output of the Lessepsian jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda in NW Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). [europepmc]
• Demystifying Cassiopea species identity in the Florida Keys: Cassiopea xamachana and Cassiopea andromeda coexist in shallow waters. [europepmc]
• Characterization of the populations of upside-down jellyfish in Jardines de la Reina National Park, Cuba. [europepmc]
• Identification of Cassiopea sp. in Lake Macquarie, Australia and revision of the taxonomic status of Cassiopea maremetens Gershwin, Zeidler & Davie, 2010 (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa: Cassiopeidae). [europepmc]
• The Westernmost Record of the Scyphomedusa Cassiopea andromeda (Forskål, 1775) in the Mediterranean: Marine Citizen Science Contributions to Invasive Species Detection and Monitoring. [europepmc]
• Global Warming and the Spread of the Introduced Jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda: Thermal Niche and Habitat Suitability in the Mediterranean Sea. [europepmc]
• Notes on the Diet and Size of the Upside-down Jellyfish Cassiopea . [europepmc]

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