Ras V, Neethling S, Engelbrecht A, Morandini A C, Bayha K M, Skrypzeck H, Gibbons M J
Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa..
Zootaxa. 2020 May 15;4778(3):zootaxa.4778.3.1. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4778.3.1.
Chrysaora (Pèron Lesueur 1810) is the most diverse genus within Discomedusae, and 15 valid species are currently recognised, with many others not formally described. Since Chrysaora fulgida (Reynaud 1830) was first recognised as occurring off the south west (SW) coast off South Africa, the species has been variously synonymised with Chrysaora hysoscella (Linnaeus 1767) and Chrysaora africana (Vanhöffen 1902). Using DNA evidence alongside multivariate tools to analyse quantitative morphometric and meristic data, as well as information from the cnidome, we unambiguously separate C. fulgida from C. hysoscella; we resurrect C. africana as a valid species and recognise a new species, Chrysaora agulhensis sp. nov. Full descriptions of C. fulgida, C. africana and C. agulhensis sp. nov. are provided. The species have different geographical patterns of distribution around the region, with restricted areas of overlap: C. agulhensis sp. nov. is found along the southern coast of South Africa and over the Agulhas Bank, C. fulgida extends from Cape Point in South Africa to southern Angola, and C. africana can be found from southern Namibia northwards to the Gulf of Guinea. The species can be readily separated in the field by a combination of tentacle/lappet number and shape, colour patterns and the form of the oral arms.
金黄海蜇(佩龙和勒叙厄尔,1810年)是根口水母目中种类最多的属,目前已确认15个有效物种,还有许多未正式描述。自从金黄海蜇(雷诺,1830年)首次被确认在南非西南海岸出现以来,该物种曾被多次同金黄海月水母(林奈,1767年)和非洲海蜇(万霍芬,1902年)视为同义词。我们利用DNA证据并结合多变量工具来分析定量形态测量和分节数据,以及刺胞囊的信息,明确地将金黄海蜇与金黄海月水母区分开来;我们恢复了非洲海蜇作为有效物种的地位,并确认了一个新物种,即阿古拉斯海蜇新种。文中提供了金黄海蜇、非洲海蜇和阿古拉斯海蜇新种的完整描述。这些物种在该区域具有不同的地理分布模式,重叠区域有限:阿古拉斯海蜇新种分布在南非南部海岸和厄加勒斯浅滩,金黄海蜇从南非的好望角延伸至安哥拉南部,非洲海蜇则可在纳米比亚南部向北至几内亚湾发现。通过触手/垂瓣数量和形状、颜色模式以及口腕形态的组合,这些物种在野外很容易区分。