New contributions to the jellyfish fauna of the Marmara Sea

Abstract

This manuscript deals with the first records of five jellyfish species in the Marmara Sea (Turkey) of previously unrecorded medusozoan species (four hydrozoan taxa, Liriope tetraphylla, Aglaura hemistoma, Solmundella bitentaculata, Neoturris pileata, and one scyphozoan, Paraphyllina ransoni) from plankton collections made in the years 2001-2008. Jellyfish abundances and distribution patterns are reported here, with a discussion about their possible introduction pathways and potential predatory outcomes into the fragile pelagic ecosystem of the Marmara Sea.