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First report of the box jellyfish Tripedalia cystophora (Cubozoa: Tripedaliidae) in the continental USA, from Lake Wyman, Boca Raton, Florida

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2011

Evan R. Orellana  and
Allen G. Collins
Evan R. Orellana*
Affiliation:
Gumbo Limbo Nature Centre, 1801 North Ocean Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL 33432, USA
Allen G. Collins
Affiliation:
NMFS, National Systematics Laboratory, National Museum of Natural History, MRC-153, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: E.R. Orellana, Gumbo Limbo Nature Centre, 1801 North Ocean Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL 33432, USA email: [email protected]
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Abstract

A male specimen of Tripedalia cystophora (Cubozoa: Tripedaliidae) was collected from Lake Wyman, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. This is the first report of this species from the continental United States and brings the total known number of cubozoan species living in this region to four. Lake Wyman is a natural lagoon/estuary ecosystem which is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The box jellyfish was found in shallow water around the roots of the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, where it was observed feeding on copepods attracted to light. This finding may indicate a local population in the waters of south Florida, USA, but an isolated occurrence cannot be ruled out.

Keywords

Cubomedusae
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 4 , December 2011 , e54
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

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References

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