Abundance patterns of cubozoans on and near the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

The ecology of cubozoans is poorly understood and there are few quantitative studies on their distribution patterns. Sampling was designed to test first for variation in abundance with distance across the continental shelf in waters of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Second, we tested for the possible influence of islands versus submerged reefs on the abundances of cubozoan jellyfishes. Jellyfishes were collected after attraction to tethered night lights. Additional sampling focused on turbid near-shore waters. Carybdeid jellyfishes were found at mainland, inner, and mid-shelf reefs during summers between 2007 and 2010. No cubozoan medusae were found at outer reef sites. Copula sivickisi and Carukia barnesi were more abundant near reefs with islands than at fully submerged reefs. There was no evidence of lunar periodicity in abundance for these cubozoan taxa. Chironex fleckeri medusae were only found close to shore near the mainland, but they were rarely observed when riverine runoff was high. All taxa were characterized by high spatial and temporal variation and there was some evidence for small populations at spatial scales of less than one kilometer. ''Blooms'' and related intensity of predation and risk to humans are most likely at small spatial scales.

Rediscovery and description of the cubomedusa <i>Alatina grandis</i> (Agassiz & Mayer, 1902) (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Alatinidae) from Pakistani waters

“…Cubozoans are a small group of jellyfish, containing between 40 and 50 species (Bentlage & Lewis 2012, Kingsford & Mooney 2014, that inhabits mostly warmer coastal areas (Kingsford et al 2012). This group is well known because of the high toxicity of most species (Williamson et al 1996, Yanagihara et al 2002, Carrette et al 2002, Carette & Seymour 2004, 2006, Bordehore et al 2011) that has caused several fatalities (Williamson et al 1996, http://thaiboxjellyfish.blogspot.…”

Irukandji jellyfish polyps exhibit tolerance to interacting climate change stressors

“…Werner et al, 1971), the polyps of Irukandji jellyfish have never been found in the field. The population dynamics of the adults are also very poorly described but exhibit extreme temporal and spatial patchiness (Kingsford et al, 2012). On the GBR, adult Irukandji jellyfish are most commonly observed near mid-outer shelf reefs (Kingsford et al, 2012) but under some weather conditions (e.g.…”

“…The population dynamics of the adults are also very poorly described but exhibit extreme temporal and spatial patchiness (Kingsford et al, 2012). On the GBR, adult Irukandji jellyfish are most commonly observed near mid-outer shelf reefs (Kingsford et al, 2012) but under some weather conditions (e.g. strong easterly winds) medusae may be advected shorewards and accumulate close to the coast where they can envenomate swimmers (Nickson et al, 2009).…”

Sources and movements of Chironex fleckeri medusae using statolith elemental chemistry

“…C. fleckeri medusae are considered to be littoral (sensu Tibballs, 2006) and are found mostly in shallow water mangrove channels, creek mouths and along sandy beaches (Hamner et al, 1995;Coates, 2003). Knowledge of cubomedusan distribution and movements is limited (but see Gordon & Seymour, 2009;Kingsford et al, 2012).…”