Two new jellyfish species recorded in Maltese waters

Two new jellyfish species were recorded in Maltese waters for the first time in recent weeks by the Spot the Jellyfish team. This brings the number of known jellyfish species in Maltese waters to date to over 20. The two new species are discomedusa lobata, recorded as a single individual at Sliema and neotima lucullana, recorded as a single individual at Qalet Marku. Alan Deidun, one of the coordinators of the citizen science initiative, said discomedusa lobata is a disc-shaped jellyfish, which can reach a maximum width of 15cm, with the number of tentacles ranging between eight and 40. The species is known in the Mediterranean, the North Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean and is considered to occur only occasionally in the Mediterranean. However, the same species bloomed and reached very high densities earlier this summer along the coasts of Croatia and Montenegro. Not much is known about its sting, but it is generally considered capable of inflicting painful stings on the same par as the much more common mauve stinger. Even less information exists concerning on the neotima lucullana – which is a hydromedusa, as is the cigar jellyfish. Even this jellyfish species is not very...