On the polyps of the common jellyfish Aurelia aurita in Kagoshima Bay

• Published in: Journal of oceanography Vol. 58; no. 3; pp. 451 - 459
• Main Authors: MIYAKE, Hiroshi, TERAZAKI, Makoto, KAKINUMA, Yoshiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer 01.06.2002; Dordrecht Terra; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aurelia aurita; Biological and medical sciences; Coastal zone; Distribution patterns; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Invertebrates; Marine; Marine biology; Marine ecology; Medusae; Mytilus; Piers; Sea water ecosystems; Spatial distribution; Synecology; Water temperature; Pacific Ocean; Asia; Japan; North Pacific; INW, Japan, Kyushu, Kagoshima Prefect., Kagoshima Bay; Aurelia aurita; Population structure; Marine environment; Substrate; Coelenterata; Geographic distribution; Animal community; Cnidaria; Habitat; Invertebrata; Animal population; Population density; Interspecific relation
• ISSN: 0916-8370; 1573-868X
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1021628314041

There is the natural habitat of polyps of the common jellyfish Aurelia aurita in the Taniyama area, Kagoshima Bay. We examined the attachment substrata, density, colony structure and strobilation of the polyps. The polyps were observed only on the horizontal undersurface of floating piers. They attached specifically to Mytilus shells, solitary ascidians, calcareous polychaete tubes, muddy amphipod tubes and the gap space that fouling animals peeled off the substrata. The polyp colonies were distributed in patches. Spatial distribution patterns of the polyps within their colonies were uniform. Strobilation occurred during late December to March, when water temperatures were 16-17 degree C, and a large number of ephyrae were released. An increase in man-made structures such as floating piers in coastal areas may lead to bloomings of Aurelia aurita medusae.