[Cnidaria] Fwd: PNG Sea Jellies

[Michael N Dawson]

A typo:
Waigeo is, of course, NW (not NE) Papua!
Mike.




On 04/11/2007, at 10:48 PM, Michael N Dawson wrote:

> Claudia, Colleagues, Mark,
>
> The first two scyphomedusae are Cassiopea.  According to the  
> current taxonomy, this should be C. ornata but there could be  
> multiple species in that part of the world (there is at least one  
> other in the New Britain / New Ireland area).
>
> The fourth image is of Mastigias papua.  If it's the same species  
> as occurs around Waigeo, NE Papua (the type locality), then it  
> really is M. papua.
>
> Mike.
>
>
>
>
> On 04/11/2007, at 9:16 PM, Claudia Mills wrote:
>
>> Hello friends,
>>
>> The photos below were sent to me for identification from Mark  
>> Baine of the Motupore Island Research Centre (MIRC), who is making  
>> a guide to underwater images of the area in Papua New Guinea. I  
>> have essentially no tropical experience and can't actually get  
>> anywhere on these nice images without some help. (Well, the cteno  
>> might, yes, be Bolinopsis, but that isn't sure.)
>>
>> Identifications could be sent to Dr. Baine (below) as well as this  
>> listserver.
>> Thanks,
>> Claudia Mills
>>
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>>> From: BAINE <bainemsp at upng.ac.pg>
>>> Date: October 10, 2007 1:32:25 PM PDT
>>> To: <cemills at u.washington.edu>
>>> Cc: "Mark Baine" <bainemsp at upng.ac.pg>
>>> Subject: Re: PNG Sea Jellies
>>>
>>> Thank you Claudia.  I really appreciate your offer of assistance  
>>> and your
>>> willingness to seek the help of others as well, if needed.
>>> Unfortunately, at the moment, we only have 3 images in total for  
>>> the sea
>>> jelly section and 1 for the ctenophores.  I attach the 4 images  
>>> for your
>>> review.  I am fairly confident on the Papuan sea jelly (Mastigias  
>>> papua)
>>> but it would be good to have it confirmed.  It would also be good to
>>> confirm the Cassiopea andromeda, though I also wonder if it could be
>>> Cassiopea medusae.  The specimen labelled Cassiopea sp was tiny  
>>> (2-3cm
>>> width) and I am assuming it is a Cassiopea given its behaviour at  
>>> the
>>> time, but no real confidence there.
>>> The ctenophore photo is not the greatest - despite the pevalence  
>>> of this
>>> species in the local bay, I have found it difficult to  
>>> photograph.  I
>>> think it could be a Bolinopsis sp.  I am continually trying to get a
>>> better photo than this one and will hopefully succeed before  
>>> publication.
>>> Once again, many thanks for the assistance.  Much appreciated.
>>>
>>> Best wishes
>>>
>>> Mark
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Oct 9, 2007, at 7:56 PM, BAINE wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dear Dr Mills
>>>>>
>>>>> Over the past 12 months, the Motupore Island Research Centre  
>>>>> (MIRC)
>>>>> has
>>>>> developed a large bank of underwater images of species found in
>>>>> Bootless
>>>>> Bay and the adjacent Papuan Barrier Reef, Central Province,  
>>>>> Papua New
>>>>> Guinea.
>>>>> It is MIRC’s intention to publish the majority of these  
>>>>> photographs
>>>>> in the
>>>>> form of a guide; the primary target audience being the local
>>>>> communities
>>>>> who use the Bay and those that visit it.  This guide is  
>>>>> currently   in
>>>>> the
>>>>> design stage and it is envisaged that by December 2007 it will be
>>>>> printed
>>>>> and ready for distribution.  MIRC intends distributing the  
>>>>> guide to
>>>>> every
>>>>> household in 5 main villages and other community pockets around  
>>>>> the
>>>>> Bay
>>>>> (at least 3000 copies).  The guide itself, as well as providing a
>>>>> visual
>>>>> testament to the biodiversity of the Bay area, will also provide
>>>>> general
>>>>> information on the biology, ecology and importance of major  
>>>>> taxonomic
>>>>> groups, concluding with some simple guidelines as to how we can
>>>>> maintain
>>>>> such a high level of biodiversity through slight modifications  
>>>>> to our
>>>>> everyday lives.
>>>>> It is very important to MIRC that we try and ensure that our
>>>>> attempts to
>>>>> identify each species are verified.  In some cases, we have been
>>>>> unable to
>>>>> identify organisms even to Genus level.  Recognising your  
>>>>> expertise, I
>>>>> would be grateful if you could assist us by examining 4  
>>>>> photographs we
>>>>> have (3 sea jellies and 1 ctenophore) and offering your opinion on
>>>>> their
>>>>> identification.  I appreciate it is difficult to make IDs based on
>>>>> photographs alone, and thus would be grateful for any advice  
>>>>> you can
>>>>> provide, even if only to family level.  As you will note, we  
>>>>> have made
>>>>> some tentative identifications, but these are not at all confident
>>>>> ones.
>>>>> Please let me know if you would be willing to assist and I  
>>>>> will   send
>>>>> the
>>>>> photographs by e-mail.  We would be delighted if you can.  Your
>>>>> contribution would be acknowledged within the book and we would  
>>>>> send a
>>>>> number of copies to you once published.
>>>>> Many thanks for taking the time to consider this request.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best wishes
>>>>>
>>>>> Dr Mark Baine
>>>>> Director, Motupore Island Research Centre
>>>>> UPNG
>>>>>
>>>>> www.upng.ac.pg
>>>
>>>
>> <Cassiopea andromeda (DH).jpg>
>> <Cassiopea sp (MB).jpg>
>> <Ctenophore 1 (MB).jpg>
>> <Mastigias papua (MB).jpg>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> List-Info: https://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/cnidaria
>

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