Sheldon Rey Boco, Christine Gloria Grace Capidos, André C. Morandini, G. William M. Harrison, Piet A. J. Bakker, Dennis Talacay, Allen G. Collins, Joseph Comendador, Sue Muller Hacking, Karen Van Dorp, Dino Angelo Ramos, Paul John Geraldino
Jellyfishes have ecological and societal value, but our understanding of taxonomic identity of many jellyfish species remains limited. Here, an approach integrating morphological and molecular (16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase I) data enables taxonomic assessment of the blubber jellyfish found in the Philippines. In this study, we aimed to resolve doubt on the taxonomy of Acromitoides purpurus, a valid binomen at the time of our research. Our morphological findings confirm that this jellyfish belongs to the genus Catostylus, and is distinct from known species of the genus inhabiting the Western Pacific, such as Catostylus ouwensi, Catostylus townsendi, and Catostylus mosaicus. Detailed morphological and molecular analyses of the type specimens from the Philippines with the other Catostylus species revive the binomen Catostylus purpurus and invalidate A. purpurus. Genetic analysis also distinguishes this Philippine jellyfish from C. townsendi and C. mosaicus. Through this study, we arranged several Catostylidae taxa into species inquirendae (Catostylus tripterus, Catostylus turgescens, and Acromitoides stiphropterus) and one genus inquirenda (Acromitoides) and provided an identification key for species of Catostylus. This comprehensive study confirms the blubber jellyfish as C. purpurus, enriching our understanding of jellyfish biodiversity. The integration of morphological and genetic analyses proves vital in resolving taxonomic ambiguities within the Catostylidae family and in the accurate identification of scyphozoan jellyfishes. Copyright © The Author(s), 2024.
Philippine Jellyfish Stings Project, Tacloban City, Philippines; Philippine Jellyfish Stings Project, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Griffith School of Environment and Science, Gold Cost Campus, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, QLD, Australia; Department of Biology, University of San Carlos, Talamban, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines; Samar State University, Guindaponan, Catbalogan, 6700, Philippines; Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rodovia Manoel Hypólito Do Rego, São Sebastião, Brazil; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands; University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; National Systematics Laboratory, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States; National Museum of Natural History of the National Museum of the Philippines, Taft Ave. 33 Ermita, Manila, 1000, Philippines; Marine Animal Surveys, Seattle, 98177, WA, United States; Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
