Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T05:41:10.719Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Detection of an unusual presence of the cubozoan Carybdea marsupialis at shallow beaches located near Denia, Spain (south-western Mediterranean)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2011

Cesar Bordehore ,
Verónica L. Fuentes ,
Dacha Atienza ,
Carmen Barberá ,
Damian Fernandez-Jover ,
Mireia Roig ,
Melissa J. Acevedo-Dudley ,
Antonio J. Canepa  and
Josep Maria Gili
Cesar Bordehore*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Apartado 99 E-03080 Alicante (Spain) Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio ‘Ramon Margalef’ IMEM, Universidad de Alicante, Apartado 99 E-03080 Alicante (Spain)
Verónica L. Fuentes
Affiliation:
Institut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta, 37–49. 08003, Barcelona (Spain)
Dacha Atienza
Affiliation:
Institut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta, 37–49. 08003, Barcelona (Spain)
Carmen Barberá
Affiliation:
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro de Baleares, Apartado 291, Moll de Ponent s/n. 07080 Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Damian Fernandez-Jover
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, Apartado 99 E-03080 Alicante (Spain)
Mireia Roig
Affiliation:
Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio ‘Ramon Margalef’ IMEM, Universidad de Alicante, Apartado 99 E-03080 Alicante (Spain)
Melissa J. Acevedo-Dudley
Affiliation:
Institut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta, 37–49. 08003, Barcelona (Spain) Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio ‘Ramon Margalef’ IMEM, Universidad de Alicante, Apartado 99 E-03080 Alicante (Spain)
Antonio J. Canepa
Affiliation:
Institut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta, 37–49. 08003, Barcelona (Spain) Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio ‘Ramon Margalef’ IMEM, Universidad de Alicante, Apartado 99 E-03080 Alicante (Spain)
Josep Maria Gili
Affiliation:
Institut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC, Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta, 37–49. 08003, Barcelona (Spain)
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: C. Bordehore, Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Apartado 99 E-03080, Alicante (Spain) email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

An unusual bloom of the cubozoan Carybdea marsupialis occurred at some beaches located near Denia (south-western Mediterranean Sea, south-eastern Spain) during the summer of 2008. The bloom was first detected and recorded by the local Red Cross first aid services. Densities of C. marsupialis in the area were characterized by quantitative sampling. The number of bathers stung totalled 3330 during the three months of summer. Sampling at shallow beaches from 15 September to 21 November 2008 gave insights into cubozoan density in the area, estimated at 265.9 individuals per 100 m2 as the highest value. These densities have never been recorded previously in the Mediterranean where the species was considered to be rare. Mean density along the 17 km of coastline which was sampled reached 5.4 ± 3.8 ind/100 m2. Data on size distribution are also given. This paper analyses the reasons behind these unusually high abundances of C. marsupialis in the north-western Mediterranean Sea and provides guidelines for future studies to elucidate the causes of this bloom.

Keywords

CubomedusaeCarybdea marsupialisjellyfish bloomswestern Mediterraneanjellyfish stings
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 4 , December 2011 , e69
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Avian, M., Budri, N. and Rottini Sandrini, L. (1997) The nematocysts of Carybdea marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 (Cubozoa). In den Hartog, J.C., van Ofwegen, L.P. and van der Spoel, S. (eds) Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference in Coelenterate Biology. Nationaal Maturhistorisch Museum, Leiden, pp. 21–26.Google Scholar
Bigelow, H.B. (1918) Some medusae and siphonophorae from the western Atlantic. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 62, 365–442.Google Scholar
Boero, F. and Minelli, A. (1986) First record of Carybdea marsupialis (L., 1758) (Cnidaria, Cubozoa) from the Adriatic Sea. Bollettino del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Venezia 35, 179–180Google Scholar
Boero, F., Bouillon, J., Gravili, C., Miglietta, M.P., Parsons, T. and Piraino, S. (2008) Gelatinous plankton: irregularities rule the world (sometimes). Marine Ecology Progress Series 6, 299–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cutress, C. and Studebaker, J.P. (1973) Development of the Cubomedusae Carybdea marsupialis. Proceedings of the Association of Island Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean 9, 1.Google Scholar
Di Camillo, C., Bo, M., Puce, S., Tazioli, S. and Bavestrello, G. (2006) The cnidome of Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubomedusae) from the Adriatic Sea. Journal of the Marine Biologial Association of the United Kingdom 86, 705–709.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fischer, A.B. and Hofmann, D.K. (2004) Budding, bud morphogenesis, and regeneration in Carybdea marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 (Cnidaria: Cubozoa). Hydrobiologia 530/531, 331–337.Google Scholar
Giampiero, P., Rafanelli, S., Galassi, G., Di Bartolo, P., Bertini, S., Alberani, M. and Beccari, G. (1997) Contact reactions to the jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis: observation of 40 cases. Contact Dermatitis 36, 124–126.Google Scholar
Golz, R. (1993) Anchorage and retraction of nematocytes in the tentacles of the cubopolyp Carybdea marsupialis are mediated by a species-specific mesogleal support. Cell and Tissue Research 274, 173–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goy, J., Morand, P. and Etienne, M. (1989) Long-term fluctuations of Pelagica noctiluca (Cnidaria, Scyphomedusa) in the western Mediterranean Sea. Prediction by climatic variables. Deep-Sea Research 36, 269–279.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kazmi, Q.B. and Sultana, R. (2007) Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubomedusae) observed for the first time in Gwadar Bay waters (Arabian Sea). Marine Biodiversity Records 1, e80.Google Scholar
Kokelj, F., Del Negro, P. and Montanari, G. (1992) Jellyfish dermatitis due to Carybdea marsupialis. Contact Dermatitis 27, 195.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kramp, P.L. (1961) Synopsis of the Medusae of the world. Cubomedusae. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 40, 304–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larson, R.J. (1976) Cubomedusae: feeding–functional morphology, behavior and phylogenetic position. In Mackie, G.O. (ed.) Coelenterate ecology and behavior. New York: Plenum Publishing Co., pp. 237–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milla, L., Segura-Puertas, L. and Celis, L. (2000) Dermatitis por contacto con Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria Cubozoa). Dermatología Revista Mexicana 44, 167–170. [In Spanish.]Google Scholar
Nogueira, M. Jr and Haddad, M.A. (2008) The diet of Cubomedusae (Cnidaria, Cubozoa) in southern Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Oceanography 56, 157–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Purcell, J.E., Uye, S. and Lo, W.T. (2007) Anthropogenic causes of jellyfish blooms and their direct consequences for humans: a review. Marine Ecology Progress Series 350, 153–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sánchez-Rodríguez, J., Torrens, E. and Segura-Puertas, L. (2006) Partial purification and characterization of a novel neurotoxin and three cytolysins from box jellyfish (Carybdea marsupialis) nematocyst venom. Archives of Toxicology 80, 163–168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Straehler-Pohl, I. and Jarms, G. (2005) Life cycle of Carybdea marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 (Cubozoa, Carybdeidae) reveals metamorphosis to be a modified strobilation. Marine Biology 147, 1271–1277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar