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Cannonball jellyfish

December 15, 2023

The cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris), also known as the cabbagehead jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish in the family Stomolophidae. Its common name derives from its similarity to a cannonball in shape and size. Its dome-shaped bell can reach 25 cm (10 in) in diameter. The rim is often colored with brown pigment. There are several known undescribed Stomolophus species found in the Pacific and South Atlantic that exhibit pale to blue pigment. They are genetically different from the individuals found in the North Atlantic - but are commonly misidentified as such. Underneath the body is a cluster of oral arms that extend out around the mouth. These arms function in propulsion and as an aid in catching prey.[2] Cannonballs are prominent from North America's eastern seaboard to the Gulf of Mexico.

Cannonball jellyfish
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Rhizostomeae
Family: Stomolophidae
Genus: Stomolophus
Species:
S. meleagris
Binomial name
Stomolophus meleagris
(Agassiz, 1860)[1]

Habitat edit

They are common on the southeastern coast of the United States, including the Gulf Coast. On the southeast coast they are extremely abundant in the fall and summer months. During these months, cannonballs make up over 16% of the biomass in the shallow inshore areas.[3]

Diet edit

Cannonballs eat mainly zooplankton such as veligers, and also all forms of red drum larvae. They have a symbiotic relationship with the portly spider crab, which also eats the small zooplankton. The crab feeds on the prey captured by the cannonball and also on the medusae of the jellyfish.[4]

Reproduction edit

As in most cnidarians sexual reproduction is not an imperative way for cannonballs to reproduce. They can reproduce both sexually and asexually.[5]

During sexual reproduction, cannonballs shoot sperm out of their mouth. The sperm are then caught by another cannonball through the mouth and fertilization happens. The embryo begins to develop in specialized pouches found on the arms around the mouth. After about 3–5 hours the larvae fall to the bottom and attach themselves to a hard structure. There they develop into polyps and catch small prey that swims by. After several days the polyp will detach and become a swimming ephyra, and will eventually turn into an adult jellyfish.[6]

Toxin edit

When disrupted, the cannonball secretes a mucus out of its nematocyst that contains a toxin. The toxin harms small fish in the immediate area, and drives away most predators, except for certain types of crabs.[7] Although cannonballs do not commonly sting humans, they do have toxins which can, but not usually, cause cardiac problems in animals and humans. The toxin can cause irregular heart rhythms and problems in the myocardial conduction pathways. Such complications are associated also with toxins of other cnidaria.[8] The toxin is also harmful to the eyes; contact with a nematocyst can be very painful, followed by redness and swelling. However, cannonball jellyfish are mostly harmless to humans. Contact with them may cause the skin to itch slightly, or minor eye irritation. As such they are among the most common causes of minor stings to humans in US and Caribbean waters.[9]

Predators edit

One of the main predators of cannonball jellyfish is the endangered species leatherback sea turtle.[10] Cannonball jellyfish are also commercially harvested as food for humans.[11]

Commercial fishing edit

 
Cannonball jellyfish (or "Georgia jellyballs" as they are known locally) are dried, preserved and packaged before being sold to a seafood distributor that ships them to Japan, China and Thailand.

Along the coast of the southern U.S. state of Georgia, jellyfish are a valuable export, which end up on dining tables across Asia. The jellyfish are dried, preserved and packaged before being sold to a seafood distributor that ships them to Japan, China, and Thailand.

Jellyball (as they are known locally) fishing is Georgia’s third largest commercial fishery.[12] In Georgia, fishermen target jellyfish with modified trawl nets, and studies have shown low quantities of bycatch are typically seen in the fishery.[13]

Recently, Mexican coasts have experienced an increase in the abundance and frequency in blooms of this jellyfish. In 2012 El Golfo de Santa Clara harvested 20,000 tons (~$3.5 million USD) from late April to early July, which elevated the importance of this resource in the region. However, further studies need to be done in order to increase the predictability and improve the management strategies.[14]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Agassiz, Louis (1860). Contributions to the natural history of the United States of America. Vol. 3. Boston: Little Brown and Co. p. 301.
  2. ^ . Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2007-08-19. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  3. ^ SHALLOW WATER TRAWL SURVEY, SEMAP-SA. (PDF). Seamap-Sa: 72. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  4. ^ Griffin, DuBose B. (PDF). South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-01-19. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
  5. ^ Fautin, Daphne Gail (2002). "Reproduction of Cnidaria". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 80 (10): 1735–1754. doi:10.1139/z02-133.
  6. ^ Whitaker, J. David; King, Dr. Rachael; Knott, David. . Marine Resources Division. Archived from the original on 2008-11-12. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  7. ^ Shanks, A.L. & Graham, W.M. (1988). "Chemical defense in a scyphomedusa" (PDF). Marine Ecology Progress Series. 45: 81–86. Bibcode:1988MEPS...45...81S. doi:10.3354/meps045081.
  8. ^ Toom, P.M.; Larsen, J.B.; Chan, D.S.; Pepper, D.A. & Price, W. (June 1975). "Cardiac effects of Stomolophus meleagris (cabbage head jellyfish) toxin". Toxicon. 13 (3): 159–164. doi:10.1016/0041-0101(75)90139-7. PMID 238309.
  9. ^ Auerbach, Paul S. (1991-08-15). Desforges, Jane F. (ed.). "Marine Envenomations". New England Journal of Medicine. Massachusetts Medical Society. 325 (7): 486–493. doi:10.1056/nejm199108153250707. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 1677161.
  10. ^ Murphy, Sally & Murphy, Tom. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  11. ^ Hsieh, Y.-H. Peggy; Leong, Fui-Ming & Rudloe, Jack (2001). "Jellyfish as food". Hydrobiologia. 451: 11–17. doi:10.1023/A:1011875720415. S2CID 20719121.
  12. ^ "US Jellyfish Land on Asian Dinner Tables". 20 March 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
  13. ^ Page, J.W. (2015). "Characterization of bycatch in the cannonball jellyfish fishery in the coastal waters off Georgia". Marine and Coastal Fisheries. 7: 190–199. doi:10.1080/19425120.2015.1032456.
  14. ^ Girón-Nava, A.; López-Sagástegui, C. & Aburto-Oropeza, O. (March 2015). "On the conditions of the 2012 cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris) bloom in Golfo de Santa Clara: a fishery opportunity?". Fisheries Management and Ecology. 22 (3): 261–264. doi:10.1111/fme.12115.

This article incorporates public domain text from the Voice of America, at http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Jellyfish-Land-on-Asian-Dinner-Tables-143681576.html

December 15, 2023
cannonball, jellyfish, cannonball, jellyfish, stomolophus, meleagris, also, known, cabbagehead, jellyfish, species, jellyfish, family, stomolophidae, common, name, derives, from, similarity, cannonball, shape, size, dome, shaped, bell, reach, diameter, often, . The cannonball jellyfish Stomolophus meleagris also known as the cabbagehead jellyfish is a species of jellyfish in the family Stomolophidae Its common name derives from its similarity to a cannonball in shape and size Its dome shaped bell can reach 25 cm 10 in in diameter The rim is often colored with brown pigment There are several known undescribed Stomolophus species found in the Pacific and South Atlantic that exhibit pale to blue pigment They are genetically different from the individuals found in the North Atlantic but are commonly misidentified as such Underneath the body is a cluster of oral arms that extend out around the mouth These arms function in propulsion and as an aid in catching prey 2 Cannonballs are prominent from North America s eastern seaboard to the Gulf of Mexico Cannonball jellyfishScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum CnidariaClass ScyphozoaOrder RhizostomeaeFamily StomolophidaeGenus StomolophusSpecies S meleagrisBinomial nameStomolophus meleagris Agassiz 1860 1 Contents 1 Habitat 2 Diet 3 Reproduction 4 Toxin 5 Predators 6 Commercial fishing 7 See also 8 ReferencesHabitat editThey are common on the southeastern coast of the United States including the Gulf Coast On the southeast coast they are extremely abundant in the fall and summer months During these months cannonballs make up over 16 of the biomass in the shallow inshore areas 3 Diet editCannonballs eat mainly zooplankton such as veligers and also all forms of red drum larvae They have a symbiotic relationship with the portly spider crab which also eats the small zooplankton The crab feeds on the prey captured by the cannonball and also on the medusae of the jellyfish 4 Reproduction editAs in most cnidarians sexual reproduction is not an imperative way for cannonballs to reproduce They can reproduce both sexually and asexually 5 During sexual reproduction cannonballs shoot sperm out of their mouth The sperm are then caught by another cannonball through the mouth and fertilization happens The embryo begins to develop in specialized pouches found on the arms around the mouth After about 3 5 hours the larvae fall to the bottom and attach themselves to a hard structure There they develop into polyps and catch small prey that swims by After several days the polyp will detach and become a swimming ephyra and will eventually turn into an adult jellyfish 6 Toxin editWhen disrupted the cannonball secretes a mucus out of its nematocyst that contains a toxin The toxin harms small fish in the immediate area and drives away most predators except for certain types of crabs 7 Although cannonballs do not commonly sting humans they do have toxins which can but not usually cause cardiac problems in animals and humans The toxin can cause irregular heart rhythms and problems in the myocardial conduction pathways Such complications are associated also with toxins of other cnidaria 8 The toxin is also harmful to the eyes contact with a nematocyst can be very painful followed by redness and swelling However cannonball jellyfish are mostly harmless to humans Contact with them may cause the skin to itch slightly or minor eye irritation As such they are among the most common causes of minor stings to humans in US and Caribbean waters 9 Predators editOne of the main predators of cannonball jellyfish is the endangered species leatherback sea turtle 10 Cannonball jellyfish are also commercially harvested as food for humans 11 Commercial fishing edit nbsp Cannonball jellyfish or Georgia jellyballs as they are known locally are dried preserved and packaged before being sold to a seafood distributor that ships them to Japan China and Thailand Along the coast of the southern U S state of Georgia jellyfish are a valuable export which end up on dining tables across Asia The jellyfish are dried preserved and packaged before being sold to a seafood distributor that ships them to Japan China and Thailand Jellyball as they are known locally fishing is Georgia s third largest commercial fishery 12 In Georgia fishermen target jellyfish with modified trawl nets and studies have shown low quantities of bycatch are typically seen in the fishery 13 Recently Mexican coasts have experienced an increase in the abundance and frequency in blooms of this jellyfish In 2012 El Golfo de Santa Clara harvested 20 000 tons 3 5 million USD from late April to early July which elevated the importance of this resource in the region However further studies need to be done in order to increase the predictability and improve the management strategies 14 See also editJellyfish as food List of delicacies List of dried foods List of types of seafoodReferences edit Agassiz Louis 1860 Contributions to the natural history of the United States of America Vol 3 Boston Little Brown and Co p 301 Cannonball Jellyfish Georgia Department of Natural Resources Archived from the original on 2007 08 19 Retrieved 2009 02 10 SHALLOW WATER TRAWL SURVEY SEMAP SA Results of the Trawling Efforts in the Coastal Habitat of the South Atlantic Bight PDF Seamap Sa 72 Archived from the original PDF on 2008 12 15 Retrieved 2008 11 03 Griffin DuBose B Cannonball Jellyfish PDF South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Archived from the original PDF on 2008 01 19 Retrieved 2007 11 10 Fautin Daphne Gail 2002 Reproduction of Cnidaria Canadian Journal of Zoology 80 10 1735 1754 doi 10 1139 z02 133 Whitaker J David King Dr Rachael Knott David Jellyfish Marine Resources Division Archived from the original on 2008 11 12 Retrieved 2008 11 17 Shanks A L amp Graham W M 1988 Chemical defense in a scyphomedusa PDF Marine Ecology Progress Series 45 81 86 Bibcode 1988MEPS 45 81S doi 10 3354 meps045081 Toom P M Larsen J B Chan D S Pepper D A amp Price W June 1975 Cardiac effects of Stomolophus meleagris cabbage head jellyfish toxin Toxicon 13 3 159 164 doi 10 1016 0041 0101 75 90139 7 PMID 238309 Auerbach Paul S 1991 08 15 Desforges Jane F ed Marine Envenomations New England Journal of Medicine Massachusetts Medical Society 325 7 486 493 doi 10 1056 nejm199108153250707 ISSN 0028 4793 PMID 1677161 Murphy Sally amp Murphy Tom Leatherback Turtles PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2011 07 21 Retrieved 2009 01 30 Hsieh Y H Peggy Leong Fui Ming amp Rudloe Jack 2001 Jellyfish as food Hydrobiologia 451 11 17 doi 10 1023 A 1011875720415 S2CID 20719121 US Jellyfish Land on Asian Dinner Tables 20 March 2012 Retrieved 2012 03 28 Page J W 2015 Characterization of bycatch in the cannonball jellyfish fishery in the coastal waters off Georgia Marine and Coastal Fisheries 7 190 199 doi 10 1080 19425120 2015 1032456 Giron Nava A Lopez Sagastegui C amp Aburto Oropeza O March 2015 On the conditions of the 2012 cannonball jellyfish Stomolophus meleagris bloom in Golfo de Santa Clara a fishery opportunity Fisheries Management and Ecology 22 3 261 264 doi 10 1111 fme 12115 This article incorporates public domain text from the Voice of America at http www voanews com english news usa US Jellyfish Land on Asian Dinner Tables 143681576 html Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cannonball jellyfish amp oldid 1187106985, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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