Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Do Staurozoa bloom? A review of stauromedusan population biology

  • JELLYFISH BLOOMS
  • Review Paper
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study of “jellyfish blooms” provides important data toward determining the causes and consequences of these phenomena; however, the definition of “bloom” remains controversial and different concepts have been adopted in recent works. By addressing the biological and convenience definitions, this study tested the adequacy of the different concepts of “blooms” for the Class Staurozoa (Cnidaria). From seasonal monitoring data of some species of Staurozoa, we concluded that stauromedusae bloom if we used the biological concept of “bloom”, which considers the life cycle and resulting changes in the abundances of these animals. By contrast, the small, benthic, inconspicuous, and non-harmful stauromedusae do not bloom if we use the convenience concept of “bloom”, which constrains the events to those that humans can observe and that cause damage to human activities. In other words, the same group of organisms either is or is not capable of blooming depending on which concept of “bloom” is used. In fact, previous literature has suggested that Staurozoa could not bloom, which indicates that the study of “jellyfish blooms” can be biased, considering convenience rather than biological reasoning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albert, D. J., 2009. Aurelia labiata (Scyphozoa) jellyfish in Roscoe Bay: their spatial distribution varies with population size and their behaviour changes with water depth. Journal of Sea Research 61: 140–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amor, A., 1962. Sobre “Stauromedusae” do litoral Patagónico, Haliclystus auricula (Rathke). Notas del Museo de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata 20: 89–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arai, M. N., 2009. The potential importance of podocysts to the formation of scyphozoan blooms: a review. Hydrobiologia 616: 241–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arneson, A. C. & C. E. Cutress, 1976. Life history of Carybdea alata Reynaud, 1830 (Cubomedusae). In Mackie, G. O. (ed.), Coelenterate Ecology and Behavior. Plenum Press, New York: 227–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Astorga, D., J. Ruiz & L. Prieto, 2012. Ecological aspects of early life stages of Cotylorhiza tuberculata (Macri, 1778) affecting its pelagic population success. Hydrobiologia. doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1036-x.

  • Bayha, K. M. & W. M. Graham, 2009. A new Taqman© PCR-based method for the detection and identification of scyphozoan jellyfish polyps. Hydrobiologia 616: 217–228.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benović, A. & D. Lučić, 2001. Jellyfish outbreaks: natural cycle or stress response effect? CIESM Workshop Series 14: 59–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berrill, M., 1962. The biology of three New England stauromedusae, with a description of a new species. Canadian Journal of Zoology 40: 1249–1262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boero, F., J. Bouillon, C. Gravili, M. P. Miglietta, T. Parsons & S. Piraino, 2008. Gelatinous plankton: irregularities rule the world (sometimes). Marine Ecology Progress Series 356: 299–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brotz, L., W. W. L. Cheung, K. Kleisner, E. Pakhomov & D. Pauly, 2012. Increasing jellyfish populations: trends in large marine ecosystems. Hydrobiologia. doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1039-7.

  • CIESM (The Mediterranean Science Commission), 2001. Gelatinous zooplankton outbreaks: theory and practice. CIESM Workshop Series 14: 112 pp. http://www.ciesm.org/online/monographs/Naples.html. Accessed 05 Nov 2011

  • Collins, A. G. & M. Daly, 2005. A new deepwater species of stauromedusae, Lucernaria janetae (Cnidaria, Staurozoa, Lucernariidae), and a preliminary investigation of stauromedusan phylogeny based on nuclear and mitochondrial rDNA data. Biological Bulletin 208: 221–230.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, A. G., P. Schuchert, A. C. Marques, T. Jankowski, M. Medina & B. Schierwater, 2006. Medusozoan phylogeny and character evolution clarified by new large and small subunit rDNA data and an assessment of the utility of phylogenetic mixture models. Systematic Biology 55: 97–115.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Corbin, P. G., 1979. The seasonal abundance of four species of stauromedusae (Coelenterata: Scyphomedusae) at Plymouth. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 59: 385–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daly, M., M. R. Brugler, P. Cartwright, A. G. Collins, M. N. Dawson, D. G. Fautin, S. C. France, C. S. McFadden, D. M. Opresko, E. Rodriguez, S. L. Romano & J. L. Stake, 2007. The phylum Cnidaria: a review of phylogenetic patterns and diversity 300 years after Linnaeus. Zootaxa 1668: 127–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daryanabard, R. & M. N. Dawson, 2008. Jellyfish blooms: Crambionella orsini (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae) in the Gulf of Oman, Iran, 2002–2003. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 88: 477–483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davenport, J., 1998. Note on the trophic relationships of the stauromedusa Haliclystus antarcticus from subantarctic South Georgia. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 78: 663–664.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, M. N. & W. M. Hamner, 2009. A character-based analysis of the evolution of jellyfish blooms: adaptation and exaptation. Hydrobiologia 616: 193–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, M. N., L. E. Martin & L. K. Penland, 2001. Jellyfish swarms, tourists, and the Christ-child. Hydrobiologia 451: 131–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Genzano, G., H. Mianzan, L. Diaz-Briz & C. Rodriguez, 2008. On the occurrence of Obelia medusa blooms and empirical evidence of unusual massive accumulations of Obelia and Amphisbetia hydroids on the Argentina shoreline. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research 36: 301–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons, M. J. & A. J. Richardson, 2009. Patterns of jellyfish abundance in the North Atlantic. Hydrobiologia 616: 51–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, W. M., F. Pagès & W. M. Hamner, 2001. A physical context for gelatinous zooplankton aggregations: a review. Hydrobiologia 451: 199–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gwilliam, G. F., 1956. Studies on west coast stauromedusae. PhD Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley: 192 pp

  • Hamner, W. M. & M. N. Dawson, 2009. A review and synthesis on the systematics and evolution of jellyfish blooms: advantageous aggregations and adaptive assemblages. Hydrobiologia 616: 161–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanaoka, K.-I., 1934. Notes on the early development of a stalked medusa. Proceedings of the Imperial Academy (Tokyo) 10: 117–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirano, Y. M., 1986. Species of Stauromedusae from Hokkaido, with notes on their metamorphosis. Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Series IV, Zoology 24: 182–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holst, S., 2012. Effects of climate warming on strobilation and ephyra production of North Sea scyphozoan jellyfish. Hydrobiologia. doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1043-y.

  • Hong, J., C. He-Qin, X. Hai-Gen, F. Arreguín-Sánchez, M. J. Zetina-Rejón, P. D. M. Luna & W. J. F. L. Quesne, 2008. Trophic controls of jellyfish blooms and links with fisheries in the East China Sea. Ecological Modelling 212: 492–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoover, R. A. & J. E. Purcell, 2009. Substrate preferences of scyphozoan Aurelia labiata polyps among common dock-building materials. Hydrobiologia 616: 259–267.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Houghton, J. D. R., T. K. Doyle, J. Davenport & G. C. Hays, 2006. Developing a simple, rapid method for identifying and monitoring jellyfish aggregations from the air. Marine Ecology Progress Series 314: 159–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Htun, T., H. Ikeda & S. I. Uye, 2012. The potential role of podocysts in perpetuation of the common jellyfish Aurelia aurita s.l. (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) in anthropogenically perturbed coastal waters. Hydrobiologia. doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1045-9.

  • Hyman, L. H., 1940. Observations and experiments on the physiology of medusae. Biological Bulletin 79: 282–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jarms, G. & H. Tiemann, 1996. On a new hydropolyp without tentacles, Microhydrula limopsicola n. sp., epibiotic on bivalve shells from the Antarctic. Scientia Marina 60: 109–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kikinger, R. & L. von Salvini-Plawen, 1995. Development from polyp to stauromedusa in Stylocoronella (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 75: 899–912.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kogovšek, T., B. Bogunović & A. Malej, 2010. Recurrence of bloom-forming scyphomedusae: wavelet analysis of a 200-year time series. Hydrobiologia 645: 81–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kowalevsky, A. O., 1884. Zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der Lucernaria. Zoologische Anzeiger 7: 712–719.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramp, P. L., 1961. Synopsis of the medusae of the world. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 40: 7–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, J. L. & D. G. Fautin, 1989. Stauromedusae of the genus Manania (=Thaumatoscyphus) (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) in the northeast Pacific, including descriptions of new species Manania gwilliami and Manania handi. Canadian Journal of Zoology 67: 1543–1549.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Licandro, P., D. V. P. Conway, M. N. Daly Yahia, M. L. Fernandez de Puelles, S. Gasparini, J. H. Hecq, P. Tranter & R. R. Kirby, 2010. A blooming jellyfish in the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean. Biology Letters 6: 688–691.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lilley, M. K. S., J. D. R. Houghton & G. C. Hays, 2009. Distribution, extent of inter-annual variability and diet of the bloom-forming jellyfish Rhizostoma in European waters. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 89: 39–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ling, S. W., 1937. Studies on Chinese stauromedusae. I. Stauromedusae from Tsingtao. Amoy Marine Biology Bulletin 3: 1–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mariottini, G. L., E. Giacco & L. Pane, 2008. The mauve stinger Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskål [SIC], 1775). Distribution, ecology, toxicity and epidemiology of stings. A review. Marine Drugs 6: 496–513.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marques, A. C., 2001. Simplifying hydrozoan classification: inappropriateness of the group Hydroidomedusae in a phylogenetic context. Contributions to Zoology 70: 175–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marques, A. C. & A. G. Collins, 2004. Cladistic analysis of Medusozoa and cnidarian evolution. Invertebrate Biology 123: 23–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, A. G., 1910. The Medusae of the World, Vol. III. The Scyphomedusae. Publication No. 109. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC: 499–735

  • Mianzan, H., D. Sorarrain, J. W. Burnett & L. L. Lutz, 2000. Mucocutaneous junctional and flexural paresthesias caused by the holoplanktonic Trachymedusa Liriope tetraphylla. Dermatology 201: 46–48.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mills, C. E., 2001. Jellyfish blooms: are populations increasing globally in response to changing ocean conditions? Hydrobiologia 451: 55–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mills, C. E., 2011. Stauromedusae: list of all valid species names. http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/Staurolist.html. Accessed 05 Nov 2011

  • Mills, C. E. & Y. M. Hirano, 2007. Stauromedusae. In Denny, M. W. & S. D. Gaines (eds), Encyclopedia of Tidepools and Rocky Shores. University of California Press, Berkeley: 541–543.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, L. S., A. C. Morandini & A. C. Marques, 2009. Taxonomic review of Haliclystus antarcticus Pfeffer, 1889 (Stauromedusae, Staurozoa, Cnidaria), with remarks on the genus Haliclystus Clark, 1863. Polar Biology 32: 1507–1519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, L. S., A. G. Collins & A. C. Marques, 2010. Molecules clarify a cnidarian life cycle—the ‘‘hydrozoan’’ Microhydrula limopsicola is an early life stage of the staurozoan Haliclystus antarcticus. Public Library of Science ONE 5: e10182.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morandini, A. C. & A. C. Marques, 2010. Revision of the genus Chrysaora Péron & Lesueur, 1810 (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa). Zootaxa 2464: 1–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nival, P. & G. Gorsky, 2001. Conditions for blooming of pelagic species. CIESM Workshop Series 14: 23–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Otto, J. J., 1976. Early development and planula movement in Haliclystus (Scyphozoa, Stauromedusae). In Mackie, G. O. (ed.), Coelenterate Ecology and Behavior. Plenum Press, New York: 319–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Otto, J. J., 1978. The settlement of Haliclystus planulae. In Chia, F. S. & M. E. Rice (eds), Settlement and Metamorphosis of Marine Invertebrate Larvae. Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, New York: 13–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, T. R. & C. M. Lalli, 2002. Jellyfish population explosions: revisiting a hypothesis of possible causes. La Mer 40: 111–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pitt, K. A., D. T. Welsh & R. H. Condon, 2009. Influence of jellyfish blooms on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and plankton production. Hydrobiologia 616: 133–149.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J. E., 2005. Climate effects on formation of jellyfish and ctenophore blooms: a review. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85: 461–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J. E., 2007. Environmental effects on asexual reproduction rates of the scyphozoan Aurelia labiata. Marine Ecology Progress Series 348: 183–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J. E., 2012. Jellyfish and ctenophore blooms coincide with human proliferations and environmental perturbations. Annual Review of Marine Science 4: 209–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J. E. & J. J. Grover, 1990. Predation and food limitation as causes of mortality in larval herring at a spawning ground in British Columbia. Marine Ecology Progress Series 59: 55–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J. E., S. Uye & W.-T. Lo, 2007. Anthropogenic causes of jellyfish blooms and their direct consequences for humans: a review. Marine Ecology Progress Series 350: 153–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J. E., R. A. Hoover & N. T. Schwarck, 2009. Interannual variation of strobilation by the scyphozoan Aurelia labiata in relation to polyp density, temperature, salinity, and light conditions in situ. Marine Ecology Progress Series 375: 139–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, J. E., D. Atienza, V. Fuentes, A. Olariaga, U. Tilves, C. Colahan & J.-M. Gili, 2012. Temperature effects on asexual reproduction rates of scyphozoan polyps from the NW Mediterranean Sea. Hydrobiologia. doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1047-7.

  • Raskoff, K. A., 2001. The impact of El Niño events on populations of mesopelagic hydromedusae. Hydrobiologia 451: 121–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, A. J., A. Bakun, G. C. Hays & M. J. Gibbons, 2009. The jellyfish joyride: causes, consequences and management responses to a more gelatinous future. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 24: 312–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sars, M., 1846. Fauna littoralis Norvegiae. Hefte 1: 1–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smayda, T., 1997. What is a bloom? A commentary. Limnology and Oceanography 42: 1132–1136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stangl, K., L. von Salvini-Plawen & T. W. Holstein, 2002. Staging and induction of medusa metamorphosis in Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria, Cubozoa). Vie Milieu 52: 131–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stefani, F., B. Leoni, A. Marieni & L. Garibaldi, 2010. A new record of Craspedacusta sowerbii, Lankester 1880 (Cnidaria, Limnomedusae) in Northern Italy. Journal of Limnology 69: 189–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Straehler-Pohl, I. & G. Jarms, 2010. Identification key for young ephyrae: a first step for early detection of jellyfish blooms. Hydrobiologia 645: 3–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uchida, T., 1927. Report of the biological survey of Mutsu Bay. 2. Medusae of Mutsu Bay. Science Reports of the Tohoku University 2: 215–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uye, S., 2008. Blooms of the giant jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai: a threat to the fisheries sustainability of the East Asian Marginal Seas. Plankton & Benthos Research 3: 125–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Iten, H., J. M. Leme, M. G. Simões, A. C. Marques & A. G. Collins, 2006. Reassessment of the phylogenetic position of conulariids (?Ediacaran-Triassic) within the subphylum Medusozoa (phylum Cnidaria). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 4: 109–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Salvini-Plawen, L., 1987. Mesopsammic Cnidaria from Plymouth (with systematic notes). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 67: 623–637.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werner, B., C. Cutress & J. P. Studebaker, 1971. Life cycle of Tripedalia cystophora Conant (Cubomedusae). Nature 232: 582–583.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wietrzykowski, W., 1912. Recherches sur le développement des Lucernaires. Archives de Zoologie Expérimentale et Générale 5e Série 10: 1–95

  • Willcox, S., N. A. Moltschaniwskyj & C. M. Crawford, 2008. Population dynamics of natural colonies of Aurelia sp. scyphistomae in Tasmania. Australia. Marine Biology 154: 661–670.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi, M. & R. Hartwick, 1980. Early life history of the sea wasp, Chironex fleckeri (class Cubozoa). In Tardent, P. & R. Tardent (eds), Developmental and Cellular Biology of Coelenterates. Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, Amsterdam: 11–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zagal, C. J., 2004a. Diet of the stauromedusa Haliclystus auricula from southern Chile. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 84: 337–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zagal, C. J., 2004b. Population biology and habitat of the stauromedusa Haliclystus auricula in southern Chile. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 84: 331–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the reviewers, C. E. Mills, M. N. Dawson, and editors, whose comments improved this paper and A. G. Collins for his comments on a previous abstract. We also thank the organizers of the 3rd International Jellyfish Blooms Symposium. L. S. Miranda was supported by CNPq (142270/2010-5) and FAPESP (2010/07362-7). A. C. Morandini was supported by CNPq (490158/2009-9) and FAPESP (2010/50174-7). A. C. Marques was supported by CNPq (557333/2005-9; 490348/2006-8; 474672/2007-7; 304720/2009-7; 563106/2010-7; 562143/2010-6) and FAPESP (2003/02432-3; 2004/09961-4; 2010/52324-6).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, travessa 14, 101. Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, 05508-090, SP, Brazil

    Lucília S. Miranda, André C. Morandini & Antonio C. Marques

Authors
  1. Lucília S. Miranda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. André C. Morandini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Antonio C. Marques
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lucília S. Miranda.

Additional information

Guest editors: J. E. Purcell, H. Mianzan & J. R. Frost / Jellyfish Blooms: Interactions with Humans and Fisheries

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

10750_2012_1048_MOESM1_ESM.jpg

Supplementary Fig. 1 Kishinouyea corbini Larson 1980 in nature (at Espírito Santo, Brazil), camouflaged against the background of Sargassum sp., its substratum. Scale = 0.25 cm (JPEG 1776 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Miranda, L.S., Morandini, A.C. & Marques, A.C. Do Staurozoa bloom? A review of stauromedusan population biology. Hydrobiologia 690, 57–67 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1048-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1048-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation