Records of ctenophores from South Africa

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Date

2021

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

PeerJ Inc.

Abstract

Although ctenophores can be conspicuous components of the plankton in coastal marine ecosystems, only six species have been formally described from around South Africa. Using photographs from local community scientists, we add a further three species (Cestum veneris, Beroe forskalii?, Ocyropsis maculata?) and six morphospecies to the regional fauna. These additions suggest that South Africa has a ctenophore fauna that is amongst the most diverse, globally; an observation in agreement with information from other taxa. Tips on how community scientists can improve their photographic contributions to understanding ctenophore diversity are provided.

Description

Keywords

Agulhas current, Benguela current, Coelenterata, Community science, Ctenophora, Diversity, Southern Africa

Citation

Gibbons, M.J. et al. (2021). Records of ctenophores from South Africa. PeerJ, 9,e10697