New Records of Cubozoan and Scyphozoan Jellyfish from Sabah Waters, Malaysia

Abstract

Jellyfish play a vital role in the ocean’s ecosystem, acting as a nursery for young fishes, crabs, and brittle stars, as well as a source of food for certain charismatic megafauna, such as sunfish and sea turtles. They also pose a threat to human activities, with jellyfish blooms negatively impacting fisheries, power generation, and tourism. However, very little information is available on the biodiversity of jellyfish within the waters of Borneo. Here, we present new records of jellyfish found along the coast of Sabah, Malaysia, located in northern Borneo, bordering the megadiverse region of the Coral Triangle. A total of six species belonging to two classes and six families hitherto not recorded to the state are reported, Chironex yamaguchii, Acromitus maculosus, Crambione mastigophora, Linuche aquila, Netrostoma sp., and Phyllorhiza punctata. Of these, two species (C. yamaguchii and L. aquila) are harmful to humans, with C. yamaguchii capable of causing human fatalities. Reports of harmful jellyfish are useful to the medical and tourism industry, as some of these species may inflict stings and adverse reactions to humans ranging from rashes and skin irritation to fatal envenomation. A checklist has also been provided for all collected jellyfish species from Sabah waters of Borneo, Malaysia.

First records of the jellyfishes Thysanostoma loriferum (Ehrenberg, 1837) and Netrostoma setouchianum (Kishinouye, 1902) in Hong Kong waters

“…Brown dots were visible on the individual from sighting 1 along the sides of the central dome of the umbrella as detailed for Nestrostoma by Kishinouye (1902) and Mayer (1910) (Fig. 3C, D), though these brown dots may not be a consistent feature across individuals within Netrostoma (Chuan et al 2021). A number of pointed protuberances extended from the central dome of both individuals (Figs.…”

Jellyfish Stings: A Review of Skin Symptoms, Pathophysiology, and Management

“…For instance, Scyphozoan stings can cause jellyfish-shaped erythematous lesions, Hydrozoa stings can result in a linear rash with a “string of beads” appearance, and Cubozoan stings can leave whip-like marks that are relatively wide and cross-hatched, accompanied by a “frosted” appearance caused by superficial skin necrosis [ 3 ]. Seabather’s eruption (SBE), an acute dermatitis, is noteworthy, especially when caused by the thimble jellyfish Linuche unguiculata , Linuche aquila, and, rarely, the sea anemone Edwardsiella lineata [ 20 – 23 ]. Recurrent eruptions subsequent to the initial stings have been reported to be caused by Pelagia noctiluca , Rhizostoma pulmo, and Aurelia aurita [ 17 ].…”

Co-occurrence of a marine heatwave and a reported tomato jellyfish (<i>Crambione mastigophora</i> Maas, 1903) bloom in March 2020 at El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

“…On a positive note, jellyfish blooms can provide more catches to fishers of jellyfish (Fahrenbruch 2018). Jellyfish fisheries are also present in Southeast Asia (Omori & Nakano 2001) where gelatinous species, including C. mastigophora (Asrial et al 2015b, Asrial & Marzuki 2021, are taken under processing as fresh, semi-dried, and dried commodities (Chuan et al 2021) for consumption (Kitamura & Omori 2010). A main fishing ground for jellyfish in Palawan has also been previously specified in Omori & Nakano (2001).…”