First Record of Rhizostome Jellyfish Catostylus perezi Ranson 1945 (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) from the Indian Coast

Abstract

The present paper reports the occurrence of a poorly known rhizostome jellyfish Catostylus perezi from the Veraval coast of Gujarat in India for the first time. Specimen was identified based on their morphology and the structure of nematocysts. This species has been previously reported from the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Gulf and the Pakistan coast. The current report shows the extended distribution of this species in the Arabian Sea. The genus Catostylus is reported for the first time from the Indian coast. Nematocysts like, microbasic mastigophore and heterotrichous anisorhiza also reported for the first time in the genus Catostylus.