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| Author(s): |
Otto Muller Patrão de Oliveira
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) |
| Defense date: | 2007-08-23 |
| Examining board members: |
Antonio Carlos Marques;
André Carrara Morandini;
Luz Amelia Vega Perez;
Carlos Eduardo Falavigna da Rocha;
Marcos Domingos Siqueira Tavares
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| Advisor: | Antonio Carlos Marques |
| Abstract | |
The phylum Ctenophora is pour studied in Brazil. Species records for the Brazilian coast are scarce in the literature. The distribution patterns and abundance of ctenophores in the region are almost unknown. The scarcity of data aims mostly to the difficulties in collecting and preserving specimens. This study consisted in an effort to increase knowledge on the faunistics, taxonomy and ecology of the ctenophores from Brazilian waters. Dissertation was divided in six chapters. The first on introduces the Ctenophora study. The second presents description of the seven species found in the São Sebastião Channel. The third chapter is an identification key to the species reported for the Brazilian coast, with a glossary on specific terms. The fourth regards the taxonomical problem of Mnemiopsis leidyi and suggests a solution for it. The fifth presents the population biology of M. leidyi from the Brazilian coast, the predatory impact of the species in several areas of the world and its recent introduction in the North and Baltic seas. The last chapter summarizes the final conclusions of the previous chapters. Thus, in hope of fulfilling a gap on these animals knowledge, I tried to contemplate several aspects of taxonomy and biology of the ctenophore species from the Brazilian coast. (AU) | |