Cassiopeia, the upside-down or mangrove jellyfish is a bottom-dwelling, shallow water marine sycophozoan of the phylum Cnidaria. It is commonly referred to as jellyfish because of its jelly like appearance. The medusa is the dominant phase in its life history. They have a radial symmetry and occur in shallow, tropical lagoons, mangrove swamps and sandy mud falls in tropical and temperate regions. In coastal Kenya, they are found only in one specific location in the Gazi Bay of the south coast. There are no documented studies on this species in Kenya. The objective of this study was to quantify the spatial and size-class distribution, and recruitment of Cassiopeia at the Gazi Bay. Ten 50mx50m quadrats were randomly placed in an estimated study area of 6.4ha to cover about 40 percent of the total study area. A total of 1043 individual upside-down jellyfish were sampled. In each quadrat, all jellyfish encountered were sampled individually. For each individual jellyfish, the diameter was determined using a standard ruler. The colour and number of tentacles on each individual was determined and its activity at the time, recorded. Because jellyfish occurred in tidal pools, the number of individuals in each pool was determined. The percentage vegetation cover in each pool was estimated and recorded to the nearest whole number. There were predominantly more light brown individuals followed by dark brown with the least number of individuals being grey. Majority of the individuals were feeding. Most individuals had a mean diameter of 8.0-8.9 cm. Individuals were well represented in the size-classes 4.0-4.9cm; 5.0-5.9; 6.0-6.9cm and 7.0-7.9cm. Very few individuals occurred in the 12.0-12.9cm class. More individuals were found in clumps than singly more so where the sea grass dominated. If the diameter of the jellyfish correlates with the age, then the population structure of the jellyfish at Gazi Bay is that of a growing population. Diameter appears to have been the single most factors that influenced spacing. The smaller the individuals, the more likely they were to be found in clumps compared to larger individuals. It is possible that clumping was also related to the size of the tidal pools. This study is significant in being the first study to document the population biology of the jellyfish at the Kenyan coast. Future studies are recommended to determine factors that restrict the distribution of this species to a specific location at the south coast of Kenya. The presence of Cassiopeia at the Gazi lagoon adds value to tourism attraction of the area.
| Published in | American Journal of Life Sciences (Volume 2, Issue 6) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20 |
| Page(s) | 395-399 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Upside-Down Jellyfish, Cassiopeia, Population Structure, Spatial Dynamics, Size-Class Distribution, Marine, Gazi Bay
| [1] | Cooke, W.J. 1984. New scyphozoan records for Hawaii: Anomalorhiza shawi Light 1921 and Thysanostoma loriferum (Ehrenberg 1835); with notes on several other rhizostomes. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 97: 583-588. |
| [2] | Fitt, W.K., 1984. The role of chemosensory behavior of Symbiodinium microadriaticum, intermediate hosts, and host behavior in the infection of coelenterates and mollusks with zooxanthellae. Mar. Biol. 81: 9-17. |
| [3] | Fitt, W.K., Costley, K., 1998. The role of temperature in survival of the polyp stage of the tropical rhizostome jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 222: 79-91. |
| [4] | Fleck, J., Fitt, W.K., 1999. Degrading mangrove leaves of Rhizophora mangle Linne provide a natural cue for settlement and metamorphosis of the upside down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana Bigelow. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 234: 83-94. |
| [5] | Hoffman, D.K., Neumann, R., Henne, K., 1978. Strobilation, budding and initiation of scyphistoma morphogenesis in the rhizostome Cassiopea andromeda. Mar. Biol. 47: 161-176. |
| [6] | Hoffman, D.K., Fitt, W.K., Fleck, J., 1996. Checkpoints in the life-cycle of Cassiopea spp.: control of metagenesis and metamorphosis in a tropical jellyfish. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 40: 331-338. |
| [7] | Müller, W.A., Leitz, T., 2002. Metamorphosis in the Cnidaria. Can. J. Zool. 80: 1755-1771. |
| [8] | Murphy, R.C. 2002. Coral Reefs: Cities under the Sea. Princeton, New Jersey: The Darwin Press. ISBN 978-0-87850-138-0. |
| [9] | Niggle W, Naumann MS, Struck U, Manasrah R, Wild C. 2010. Organic matterrelease by the benthic upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea sp. fuels pelagic food webs in coral reefs. J. Exp. Mar.Biol. and Ecol., Vol., 384 (1&2), pages 99-106. |
| [10] | Passano, L.M., 2004. Spasm behavior and the diffuse nerve-net in Cassiopeaxamachana (Scyphozoa: Coelenterata). Hydrobiologia, 530-531(1): 91-96. |
| [11] | Radwan, F.F.Y., Roman, L.G., Baksi, K., Burnett, J.W., 2005. Toxicity and mAChRs binding activity of Cassiopea xamachana venom from Puerto Rican coasts. Toxicon 45(1): 107-112. |
| [12] | Rahat, M., Adar, O., 1980. Effect of symbiotic zooxanthellae and temperature on budding and strobilation in Cassiopea andromeda. Biol. Bull. 159: 394-401. |
| [13] | Ruppert, E.E., Fox, R.S., Barnes, R.D., 2004. Invertebrate zoology. A functional evolutionary approach. Thomson, Brooks/Cole, USA. pp. 148-153. |
| [14] | Sterrer, W., 1986. Marine fauna and flora of Bermuda. A systematic guide to the identification of marine organisms. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 158-159. |
| [15] | Sterrer, W., 1992. Bermuda’s marine life. Bda. Zool. Soc., Island Press, Bda. pp. 43-44. |
| [16] | Vodenichar, J.S., 1995. Ecological physiology of the scyphozoan Cassiopea xamachana. M.S. Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, USA. |
| [17] | Wood, J.B., Jackson, K.J., 2005. Bermuda. In: Caribbean marine biodiversity: the known and the unknown. Miloslavich, P. & Klein, E., Eds. DEStech Publications, Inc., Lancaster, PA. pp. 19-35. |
| [18] | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=37536&lvl=3&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unl |
| [19] | http://www.jellyfishfacts.net/news/mangrove-jellyfish-cassiopea-xamachana-nid-78.html#ixzz1QRqZXeV2 |
| [20] | http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatfishblog/2009/01/12/clearing-cloudy-water-common-aquarium-questions |
| [21] | http://www.jellyfishfacts.net/upside-down-jellyfish.html#ixzz1QRgD4YX0 |
APA Style
Tsingalia H. M. (2015). Population and Spatial Dynamics Mangrove Jellyfish Cassiopeia sp at Kenya’s Gazi Bay. American Journal of Life Sciences, 2(6), 395-399. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20
ACS Style
Tsingalia H. M. Population and Spatial Dynamics Mangrove Jellyfish Cassiopeia sp at Kenya’s Gazi Bay. Am. J. Life Sci. 2015, 2(6), 395-399. doi: 10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20
AMA Style
Tsingalia H. M. Population and Spatial Dynamics Mangrove Jellyfish Cassiopeia sp at Kenya’s Gazi Bay. Am J Life Sci. 2015;2(6):395-399. doi: 10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20
Share This Article
Twitter
Linked In
Facebook
Copy
Download@article{10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20,
author = {Tsingalia H. M.},
title = {Population and Spatial Dynamics Mangrove Jellyfish Cassiopeia sp at Kenya’s Gazi Bay},
journal = {American Journal of Life Sciences},
volume = {2},
number = {6},
pages = {395-399},
doi = {10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajls.20140206.20},
abstract = {Cassiopeia, the upside-down or mangrove jellyfish is a bottom-dwelling, shallow water marine sycophozoan of the phylum Cnidaria. It is commonly referred to as jellyfish because of its jelly like appearance. The medusa is the dominant phase in its life history. They have a radial symmetry and occur in shallow, tropical lagoons, mangrove swamps and sandy mud falls in tropical and temperate regions. In coastal Kenya, they are found only in one specific location in the Gazi Bay of the south coast. There are no documented studies on this species in Kenya. The objective of this study was to quantify the spatial and size-class distribution, and recruitment of Cassiopeia at the Gazi Bay. Ten 50mx50m quadrats were randomly placed in an estimated study area of 6.4ha to cover about 40 percent of the total study area. A total of 1043 individual upside-down jellyfish were sampled. In each quadrat, all jellyfish encountered were sampled individually. For each individual jellyfish, the diameter was determined using a standard ruler. The colour and number of tentacles on each individual was determined and its activity at the time, recorded. Because jellyfish occurred in tidal pools, the number of individuals in each pool was determined. The percentage vegetation cover in each pool was estimated and recorded to the nearest whole number. There were predominantly more light brown individuals followed by dark brown with the least number of individuals being grey. Majority of the individuals were feeding. Most individuals had a mean diameter of 8.0-8.9 cm. Individuals were well represented in the size-classes 4.0-4.9cm; 5.0-5.9; 6.0-6.9cm and 7.0-7.9cm. Very few individuals occurred in the 12.0-12.9cm class. More individuals were found in clumps than singly more so where the sea grass dominated. If the diameter of the jellyfish correlates with the age, then the population structure of the jellyfish at Gazi Bay is that of a growing population. Diameter appears to have been the single most factors that influenced spacing. The smaller the individuals, the more likely they were to be found in clumps compared to larger individuals. It is possible that clumping was also related to the size of the tidal pools. This study is significant in being the first study to document the population biology of the jellyfish at the Kenyan coast. Future studies are recommended to determine factors that restrict the distribution of this species to a specific location at the south coast of Kenya. The presence of Cassiopeia at the Gazi lagoon adds value to tourism attraction of the area.},
year = {2015}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Population and Spatial Dynamics Mangrove Jellyfish Cassiopeia sp at Kenya’s Gazi Bay AU - Tsingalia H. M. Y1 - 2015/01/04 PY - 2015 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20 DO - 10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20 T2 - American Journal of Life Sciences JF - American Journal of Life Sciences JO - American Journal of Life Sciences SP - 395 EP - 399 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2328-5737 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajls.20140206.20 AB - Cassiopeia, the upside-down or mangrove jellyfish is a bottom-dwelling, shallow water marine sycophozoan of the phylum Cnidaria. It is commonly referred to as jellyfish because of its jelly like appearance. The medusa is the dominant phase in its life history. They have a radial symmetry and occur in shallow, tropical lagoons, mangrove swamps and sandy mud falls in tropical and temperate regions. In coastal Kenya, they are found only in one specific location in the Gazi Bay of the south coast. There are no documented studies on this species in Kenya. The objective of this study was to quantify the spatial and size-class distribution, and recruitment of Cassiopeia at the Gazi Bay. Ten 50mx50m quadrats were randomly placed in an estimated study area of 6.4ha to cover about 40 percent of the total study area. A total of 1043 individual upside-down jellyfish were sampled. In each quadrat, all jellyfish encountered were sampled individually. For each individual jellyfish, the diameter was determined using a standard ruler. The colour and number of tentacles on each individual was determined and its activity at the time, recorded. Because jellyfish occurred in tidal pools, the number of individuals in each pool was determined. The percentage vegetation cover in each pool was estimated and recorded to the nearest whole number. There were predominantly more light brown individuals followed by dark brown with the least number of individuals being grey. Majority of the individuals were feeding. Most individuals had a mean diameter of 8.0-8.9 cm. Individuals were well represented in the size-classes 4.0-4.9cm; 5.0-5.9; 6.0-6.9cm and 7.0-7.9cm. Very few individuals occurred in the 12.0-12.9cm class. More individuals were found in clumps than singly more so where the sea grass dominated. If the diameter of the jellyfish correlates with the age, then the population structure of the jellyfish at Gazi Bay is that of a growing population. Diameter appears to have been the single most factors that influenced spacing. The smaller the individuals, the more likely they were to be found in clumps compared to larger individuals. It is possible that clumping was also related to the size of the tidal pools. This study is significant in being the first study to document the population biology of the jellyfish at the Kenyan coast. Future studies are recommended to determine factors that restrict the distribution of this species to a specific location at the south coast of Kenya. The presence of Cassiopeia at the Gazi lagoon adds value to tourism attraction of the area. VL - 2 IS - 6 ER -
Email: