Corresponding author: Sho Toshino (
Academic editor: L. van Ofwegen
A new family, genus and species of cubozoan box jellyfish belonging to the order
Toshino S, Miyake H, Shibata H (2015)
The order
Chirodropids have been reported from a range of tropical, sub-tropical, and mild temperature localities in the Pacific and Atlantic (
Five species of Japanese cubozoans have been reported,
List of Japanese
Current name | Former name | Japanese name | Reference |
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Andon-kurage | a, b, c | |
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Himeandon–kurage | a, b, c | |
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Mitsuderippo–kurage | b, d | |
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Hi–kurage | a, b, c, e | |
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Habu–kurage | f, g |
Specimens were collected using a scoop, 170 mm in diameter, at Souma, Onahama and Fujisawa, eastern Japan between 24 August 2011 and 18 October 2013 (Fig.
Map of the sampling sites.
Taxonomic observation and measurements were made on preserved specimens. Measurements were made with digital calipers (CD-20CPX, Mitsutoyo Corporation, Japan) to the nearest 0.01 mm. The following measurements were made according to
Key characters for identification and measurement of parts of the
For nematocyst identification in the medusae, squashes prepared from fresh tissues were examined under a compound microscope. Nematocysts were identified according to
Near complete sequences of the nuclear 18S rDNA genes (approximately 1800 bp) were used for molecular phylogenetic analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted from the 99.5 % ethanol preserved subsampled tentacle tissue of NSMT-Co1569, NSMT-Co1571 and NSMT-Co1572 using the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kits (Qiagen, Germany) following the manufacturers protocol. 18S rDNA was PCR amplified and sequenced using primers and protocols outlined in
Taxa included in the phylogenetic analyses and GenBank accession numbers for sequences. Sequences obtained in this study are in
Species | GenBank No. | Reference |
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Collins et al. 2002 |
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Collins et al. 2002 |
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Collins et al. 2002 |
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Collins et al. 2002 | |
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Collins et al. 2002 | |
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this study | |
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this study | |
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this study | |
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Collins et al. 2002 |
The genus name comes from the meteor-like appearance of the jellyfish shooting through the sea while swimming. The name
Holotype: NSMT-Co1572. Eastern Japan, Fukushima Prefecture, Souma, Matsukawa-ura,
Adult medusae with smooth exumbrella, with evenly thick mesoglea of rigid consistency (Fig.
Illustration of
Illustration of
Size (mm) of
Specimen No. | BH | DBW | DEW | DSW | IRW | PW | PCW | OKW |
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NSMT-Co1568 | 34,3 | 49,5 | 44,0 | 41,3 | 22,6 | 7,3 | 1,5 | 2,8 |
NSMT-Co1569 | 28,7 | 41,7 | – | – | 19,6 | 6,8 | 1,2 | 2,6 |
NSMT-Co1570 | 15,3 | 19,6 | 18,9 | 15,5 | 9,2 | 3,7 | 1,0 | 1,1 |
NSMT-Co1571 | 23,7 | 28,3 | 25,5 | 22,6 | 15,4 | 6,7 | 1,5 | 2,9 |
NSMT-Co1572* | 34,6 | 46,5 | 42,9 | 39,6 | 22,0 | 6,9 | 1,8 | 3,1 |
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NSMT-Co1568 | 3,0 | 17,2 | 11,2 | 2,6 | 5,6 | 5,5 | 15,2 | Male |
NSMT-Co1569 | 3,2 | 13,7 | 7,1 | 2,1 | 4,4 | 5,4 | 11,9 | Female |
NSMT-Co1570 | 1,3 | 7,5 | 4,9 | 0,9 | 2,3 | 2,8 | 3,6 | Female |
NSMT-Co1571 | 2,3 | 16,4 | 11,1 | 2,0 | 4,5 | 4,3 | 10,0 | Female |
NSMT-Co1572* | 2,1 | 17,7 | 11,1 | 2,7 | 5,1 | 6,0 | 12,5 | Female |
Gastric saccules unbranched, slightly raised and opaque (Fig.
The smallest young medusa (NSMT-Co 1570) had a BH of about 15 mm, DBW of about 20 mm (Fig.
Illustration of
Cnidome. Six different nematocyst types identified and measured in the paratype specimen (NSMT-Co1571) (Table
Nematocysts of
Cnidomes of
Part | Type | Min | Max | Mean | SD | N | |
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Tentacle | banana-shaped microbasic |
D | 11,58 | 15,49 | 13,62 | 1,06 | 21 |
L | 58,22 | 67,85 | 62,60 | 2,54 | 21 | ||
large microbasic |
D | 15,64 | 20,61 | 17,64 | 1,21 | 30 | |
L | 26,05 | 33,02 | 29,27 | 1,65 | 30 | ||
small sub-spherical |
D | 11,63 | 15,49 | 13,57 | 1,08 | 25 | |
L | 15,09 | 19,96 | 17,37 | 1,31 | 25 | ||
small oval beehive isorhiza | D | 9,77 | 11,86 | 10,67 | 0,56 | 30 | |
L | 12,36 | 15,12 | 13,38 | 0,72 | 30 | ||
rod-shaped isorhiza | D | 3,38 | 5,92 | 4,56 | 0,62 | 30 | |
L | 9,92 | 18,31 | 15,11 | 1,45 | 30 | ||
Exumbrella | N/A | D | – | – | – | – | – |
L | – | – | – | – | – | ||
Manubrium | small sub-spherical |
D | 12,45 | 16,67 | 14,50 | 0,97 | 30 |
L | 16,15 | 19,35 | 17,79 | 0,90 | 30 | ||
tiny microbasic eurytele | D | 9,80 | 12,19 | 11,06 | 0,61 | 30 | |
L | 14,29 | 18,69 | 16,22 | 0,98 | 30 | ||
Phacella | small sub-spherical |
D | 11,73 | 14,39 | 13,27 | 0,63 | 30 |
L | 14,03 | 18,42 | 16,37 | 1,00 | 30 | ||
tiny microbasic eurytele | D | 9,63 | 12,49 | 10,82 | 0,83 | 15 | |
L | 12,56 | 19,79 | 15,82 | 1,91 | 15 |
In the resulting ML tree (Fig.
Maximum-likelihood tree for 18 cubozoan taxa based on the nuclear 18S rDNA data set. Scale bars indicate branch length in substitutions per site. Nodal support values are presented as the ML bootstrap value; only values >50% are shown.
Holotype specimen of
The species is named
A comparison of key features of the species of
Morphology of chirodropida medusae in previous and the present studies. All bars represent lacking data.
Family | Genus | Nematocysts on exumbrella | Gastric saccule shape | Gastric phacella shape | Rhopaliar covering scale | Number of tentacles | Pedalial branching pattern | Pedalial canal | Pedalial canal bend |
– | Slightly raised | Horseshoe shaped | Tongue | 1 | Unbranching | Undivided | Slight volcano | ||
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– | Solid and spherical; sessile | V-shaped | Cigar/Banana/Tongue/Squarish to rounded | 5–11 | Usually but always opposite | Divided | Knee-shaped/ Slight volcano | |
Horseshoe shaped | |||||||||
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– | Elongate, tapered, with numerous axial processes, or absent | V-shaped | – | 9–21 | Bilateral with reduced ‘palm’ | Unknown | Spike |
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– | – | Arranged vertically along stomach wall | – | 9–11 | Bilateral with reduced ‘palm’ | Unknown | Spike | |
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– | cock’s-comb shaped/grape-cluster-like | V-shaped | – | 7–15 | Alternate | Divided | Spike/volcano | |
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Fine warts | Finger-like and short | Horseshoe shaped | – | 2–9 | Opposite | Undivided | Slight volcano |
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– | Finger-like and long | V-shaped | – | 4–11 | Unilateral | Undivided | Spike |
Two families,
Based on our maximum likelihood study,
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Ko Tomikawa, Yusuke Kondo (Hiroshima University) and Shun Ishikawa (Kitasato University) for providing the specimens and photos. The manuscript was greatly improved by the constructive comments Shin Kubota (Kyoto University) and Cheryl Lewis (National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution). The research was financially supported by the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from The Japan Science Society and the Research Institute of Marine Invertebrates Foundation by Research Institute of Marine Invertebrates.