Most scyphomedusae jellyfishes recorded in Korean waters are temperate and subtropical species. In the present study, two cold-water jellyfishes from Korean waters are first described. Scyphomedusae were collected from the coasts of Gangneung and Ulsan of the East Sea, and Boryeong, and the eastern area of the Yellow Sea from June 2006 to May 2015. Scyphomedusae collected in Ulsan and Gangneung were identified morphologically as Aurelia limbata Brandt, 1835. Their umbrella was 250-500 mm in width and 30-50 mm in height; the exumbrella was white and the subumbrella was dark brown in color. The vascular system was complex with anastomosed branches. Individuals of this species lived at about 6.6-9.9°C and 30-50 m depth in Korean waters. Scyphomedusae collected from the center of the Yellow Sea and from Boryeong were identified as Parumbrosa polylobata Kishinouye, 1910. Their umbrella was discshaped, 80-200 mm in width and 20-40 mm in height. Its milky white gonads could be seen through the transparent exumbrella. The stomach cavity was round and flat with four interradial cavities connected by subgenital cavities, and the four oral arms were bifurcated and spearhead shaped. Individuals were found at about 6.4-10.0°C and 40-90 m depth in Korean waters. The identities of both species were confirmed by molecular analysis using nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences.
A giant jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai), which is presumed developing in the East China Sea, is recently one of major issues in the Northeast Asia region due to its fatal damage to the fishery. The biomass estimates have generally been conducted by trawl sampling and sighting survey methods. The biological research is also needed to clarify such environmental origin or diurnal migration patterns. While trawl sampling or sighting survey methods are effective to investigate its density estimates in its distributed community of near bottom or surface, they have a problem in investigation on the vertical distribution of jellyfishes. In this case, an echo sounding detection would have an advantage to survey it more extensively and effectively. This trial was conducted to observe the vertical distribution of giant jellyfish, where thermocline strongly formed, during mooring at each station of the East China Sea and southern coastal area using acoustical and optical methods. By the results, they were observed to exit and move at the water column under the thermocline using the optical camera and echo sounder system, and the information was analyzed to find out the acoustical sound scattering characteristics relatives to 120kHz frequency. These results can be utilized effectively to estimate the vertical distribution and biomass of Giant jellyfish with comparing results from trawl sampling and sighting survey methods, hereafter.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.