Nogueira, M. jr. (2012). Gelatinous zooplankton fauna (Cnidaria, Ctenophora and Thaliacea) from Baía da Babitonga (southern Brazil). Zootaxa. 3398: 1–21.
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Nogueira, M. jr
2012
Gelatinous zooplankton fauna (Cnidaria, Ctenophora and Thaliacea) from Baía da Babitonga (southern Brazil)
Zootaxa
3398: 1–21.
Publication
The present study reports on a survey of the gelatinous zooplankton fauna (Cnidaria, Ctenophora and Thaliacea) from the proposed Baía da Babitonga marine protected area (southern Brazil; ~26°S), based on collections from multiple sites over different seasons and from published literature. In order to sample both small and large gelatinous animals, plankton hauls (n = 255) and fishing trawls (n = 126) were employed. More than 20,000 organisms were studied, which, including literature data, totaled 48 species: one cubomedusa, three scyphomedusae, four siphonophores, 36 hydromedusae, two ctenophores, and two thaliaceans. Among these, the hydromedusae Cnidostoma fallax Vanhöffen and Helgicirrha sp. are recorded for the first time from the southwestern Atlantic coast and Paulinum sp. and Protiara sp. are recorded for the first time from the South Atlantic. A description of young stages of the hydromedusa Gossea brachymera Bigelow is pesented and shows that Octobulbacea montehermosensis Zamponi is a junior ynonym of the former. Although comprehensive local assessment of diverse taxonomic groups is still lacking, the high diversity oserved herein underscores the importance of Baía da Babitonga as a high priority site for conservation of regional marine biodiversity.