[Cnidaria] Portunid crab on Rhizostoma pulmo

Sun Aug 3 16:39:45 PDT 2008

Dear Cnidarian enthusiasts,

I received this request from a friend on a crustacean web group and contacted Maurizio who asked if I could post it to the Cnidaria group on his behalf.

I have added my reply and others he has recieved to avoid doubling up.

I'll forward on answer on the cnidaria group to Maurizio. 

Cheers

Jo Browne

On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 10:18 AM, Maurizio <maurva at libero.it> wrote:

	Dear CRUST-Lers,

	Does anybody know of some interaction between the jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo and portunids crabs?

	Some weeks ago I saw a portunid crab specimen eating inside a Rhizostoma pulmo, swimming in the surface. I was snorkeling in coastal water of a locality near Palermo, Sicily (Southern Tyrrhenian, Mediterranean Sea).
	I'm searching for some information on current scientific literature but unfortunately I did not find any news on this topic by now.
	I have two photos of this "interaction" I have taken in the field. Please let me know how I can send these photos to anyone is interested to see.

	Thanks in advance,

	Maurizio Vaccaro.

	-- 
	><{{{(*> ><{{{(*>

	Maurizio Vaccaro
	Mare e Ambiente srl
	Via F. Guardione, 30
	90139 Palermo
	tel/fax: (+39) 091 6117545
	mailto:maurva at libero.it <mailto:maurva at libero.it> 
	http://www.mareambiente.it/ <http://www.mareambiente.it/> 

	<'')}}}}>< <'')}}}}><

Hi Maurizio,

I have seen portunid crabs on the scyphozoan Catostylus mosaicus in Sydney, Australia - (Browne JG, Kingsford MJ (2005) A commensal relationship between the scyphozoan medusae Catostylus mosaicus and the copepod Paramacrochiron maximum. Marine Biology 146: 1157-1168) but only observed it twice. There are papers on other crabs associating with jellyfish:

Corrington JD (1927) Commensal association of a spider crab and a medusa. Biological Bulletin 53: 346-350 Nogueira M, Haddad MA (2005) Lychnorhiza lucerna Haeckel (Scyphozoa, Rhizostomeae) and Libinia ferreirae Brito Capello (Decapoda, Majidae) association in southern Brazil. Revista Brasileira De Zoologia 22: 908-912 Towanda T, Thuesen EV (2006) Ectosymbiotic behavior of Cancer gracilis and its trophic relationships with its host Phacellophora camtschatica and the parasitoid Hyperia medusarum. Marine Ecology-Progress Series 315: 221-236 Shanks AL, Graham WM (1988) Chemical defense in a scyphomedusa. Marine Ecology Progress Series 45: 81-86 Phillips JP, Burke D, Keener EJ (1969) Observations on the trophic significance of jellyfishes in Mississippi Sound with quantitative data on the associative behaviour of small fishes with medusae. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 4: 703-712

Rhizostoma also form assocations with cyclopoid copepods eg

Humes AG, Stock JH (1973) A revision of the family Lichomolgidae Kossmann, 1877, cyclopoid copepods mainly associated with marine invertebrates. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 127: 1-368

If you like I could put your query on the cnidaria list server and I'm sure you would get replies. I'd be interested in seeing your photos - 

             _____ 

   <><   /         \         ><>
            \_____/                   <><
              \   \   \      <><
<><        /   /   /   
              \   \   \    
Joanna Browne
PhD Candidate
Griffith School of Environment
and
Australian Rivers Institute - Coast & Estuaries
and
Marine Invertebrates
Melbourne Museum
GPO Box 666
Melbourne 
VIC 3001
AUSTRALIA
Telephone +61 3 8341 7453
Facsimile  +61 3 8341 7456
Email        jbrowne at museum.vic.gov.au

-------------------------- Wiadomość oryginalna --------------------------

Temat: [CRUST-L:3661] Re: portunidae inside jellyfish

Od: "Matz S. Berggren" <matz.berggren at marecol.gu.se>

Data: Cz Lipca 31 2008, 7:58 pm

Do: crust-l at vims.edu

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Hi Maurizio,

I have seen portunids in pulmonate jellyfish in the Indian Ocean (see: Berggren, M. 1994. Periclimenes nomadophila and Tuleariocaris sarec, Two New Species of Pontoniine Shrimps (Decapoda: Pontoniinae), from Inhaca Island, Mocambique Journal of Crustacean Biology, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Nov., 1994), pp. 782-802). However, they were hanging in the mouth tentacles, not inside the jelly! Hope it gives you some info - probably more have seen this! Cheers, matz

-------------------------- Wiadomość oryginalna --------------------------

Temat: [CRUST-L:3661] Re: portunidae inside jellyfish

Od: iain.mcgaw at unlv.edu

Data: Cz Lipca 31 2008, 7:31 pm

Do: crust-l at vims.edu

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I am not sure about these species, but Cancer gracilis juveniles hitch a ride on jellyfish in the eastern Pacific

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Associate Professor

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Tel: (702) 895 3390

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email: iain.mcgaw at unlv.edu

Here is a report of crab-jellyfish interactions in Florida (Not portunids, though)

Tunberg BG, Reed SA (2004) MASS OCCURRENCE OF THE JELLYFISH STOMOLOPHUS MELEAGRIS AND AN ASSOCIATED SPIDER CRAB LIBINIA DUBIA, EASTERN FLORIDA. Florida Scientist: Vol. 67, No. 2 pp. 93-104

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