Comparison of Atlantic species of the jellyfish genus Nausithoe (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa, Coronatae) based on morphological features

• Grant number: 18/11763-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: September 13, 2018
• End date: December 14, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: André Carrara Morandini
• Grantee: Clarissa Garbi Molinari
• Supervisor: Allen Gilbert Collins
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 17/04954-0 - Description and life cycle of a solitary coronate scyphozoan from deep waters of the southeast coast of Brazil (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa, Coronatae, Nausithoidae) and comparison with other species, BP.MS

Abstract

Most of scyphozoans have a metagenetic life cycle. The similarity of polyps within the same genus highlights the need of studying life cycle for species identification. The genus Nausithoe Kölliker, 1853 (Nausithoidae, Coronatae) consist of 22 identified species. In this study, by performing morphological analyses on preserved Nausithoe specimens (polyp and medusae) from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History Collection, USA, we propose to continue the effort of elucidating the diversity of the genus. The study will also be essential to compare the Nausithoe specimens which are being cultivated by the applicant in her MSc project. (AU)