<strong>Faunistic survey of Hydromedusae (Cnidaria, Medusozoa) from the coast of Paraná State, Southern Brazil</strong>

Abstract

This study is the first faunistic inventory of hydromedusae from the inner continental shelf of Paraná State. We describe the composition of hydromedusae species, collected with bottom-trawl and Hensen nets, in campaigns carried out from 1997 to 2006. We analyzed 17,797 specimens from 578 samples, and provide descriptions, photographs, and information about the biology of the 22 species found. All species had previous records from the Brazilian coast; however, this is the first record of Bougainvillia frondosa, Ectopleura dumortieri, Cirrholovenia tetranema, Eucheilota maculata, Gossea brachymera, Solmaris corona, and Amphogona apsteini for the coast of Paraná. Most species are typical of tropical and subtropical coastal waters from the South Brazilian Bight. However, Turritopsis nutricula, Niobia dendrotentaculata, Solmaris corona, and Aglaura hemistoma are abundant in oceanic waters, and Olindias sambaquiensis and Solmaris corona are associated with colder waters (&lt;20°C). The current number of species known for the state is 26. Additional collection effort is needed in regions not sampled in this work, such as bays and offshore waters.

Medusae and ctenophores from the Bahía Blanca Estuary and neighboring inner shelf (Southwest Atlantic Ocean, Argentina)

“…It causes severe skin damage and pain (Kokelj et al 1993). Adults range in size from 6 to 10 cm (Nagata et al 2014) although specimens up to 21 cm were observed in our study area (Mianzan 1986a). This species has a clear seasonal pattern of high-density aggregations during the warmest months (Macchi et al 1995;Mianzan and Ramírez 1996), and were reported in the area from October to April (Mianzan 1986a).…”

“…Tentacles with elongate conical bulbs, generally less numerous than radial canals but varying from half to the same number of them; 5-10 statocysts between successive radial canals. Gonads along almost the entire length of the radial canals (Nagata et al 2014) (Fig. 2 C1-3).…”

Biodiversity of planktonic hydrozoans from a subtropical estuary: evidence of assemblage structure change

“…and Helgicirrha sp. (Figure 8), could not be identified to species level since the latter is probably an undescribed species, and all the other genera have taxonomic problems (Nagata et al ., 2014a). All the planktonic hydrozoan species found here have already been recorded for the Brazilian coast (Oliveira et al ., 2016), but 19 species are new records for PES and nine for Paraná State (Table 1; Nagata et al ., 2014a).…”

“…(Figure 8), could not be identified to species level since the latter is probably an undescribed species, and all the other genera have taxonomic problems (Nagata et al ., 2014a). All the planktonic hydrozoan species found here have already been recorded for the Brazilian coast (Oliveira et al ., 2016), but 19 species are new records for PES and nine for Paraná State (Table 1; Nagata et al ., 2014a). Although these new records fill gaps in their distribution their occurrence was expected, since polyps and/or medusae of them have been found to the south and/or north of the PES (Oliveira et al ., 2016).…”

“…Moreover, the use of different gear types also may help to find additional species such as Rhacostoma atlanticum and Olindias sambaquiensis , not sampled here but known to commonly occur in coastal waters nearby and occasionally entering estuaries (Nogueira Júnior et al ., 2010; Nogueira Júnior, 2012). These species are usually large-sized (reaching up to >40 mm) and thus rarely sampled in standard zooplankton nets as used here (Nagata et al ., 2014a). In fact, O. sambaquiensis has been observed a few times in the PES tidal channels in samples with larger nets not included here (LSN, personal observations).…”