Pelagic Cnidaria and Ctenophora diversity patterns and trends in Macaronesia insular systems (NE Atlantic)

Sonia K M Gueroun,Mafalda Freitas,João Canning-Clode,Carlos Andrade,Natacha Nogueira,Jamileh Javidpour

doi:10.1007/s12526-021-01174-z

Abstract

Jellyfish are important components of the marine ecosystem and present a potential resource for different economic domains (e.g. medicine, food and biotechnology). We present an overview of the current state of jellyfish biodiversity in the Macaronesia region, which includes the archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, and examine possible biogeography patterns among its archipelagos. Based on a comprehensive literature survey, historical records, richness estimation and biogeographical distribution, our search included organisms belonging to Scyphozoa, Hydrozoa (strictly benthic species excluded) and Ctenophora. Our search detected 229 jellyfish species, with a dominance of holoplankton species, likely reflecting the insular and coastal morphology of the archipelagos. Differences in species richness, endemism and species affinities are found between the Azores, Madeira, Canary and Cape Verde island systems. Shared trend includes the dominance of holoplanktonic hydrozoans, while the second most speciose taxa (Scyphozoa and Ctenophore) vary between the archipelagos. While widespread distributed holoplankton predominate in the area, species with strict affinities suggests a pattern in the spatial distribution of jellyfish, dividing Macaronesia into two biogeographic units: (i) Azores-Madeira-Canary with temperate and subtropical and/or tropical species and (ii) Cape Verde with strictly subtropical and/or tropical species

Highlights

Jellyfish are important components of the marine ecosystem, comprising a diverse group formed by pelagic cnidarians, Communicated by S
An additional area of interest lies in the possible influence of the insular nature on the community. In this context and in order to expand our current understanding of the scale and diversity of jellyfish on insular systems, we examined jellyfish diversity patterns in the Macaronesia region
Based on literature research and on estimations, we investigated the current state of jellyfish biodiversity in the whole of Macaronesia by examining possible patterns and biogeographical distinctions between the archipelagos

Summary

Introduction

Jellyfish are important components of the marine ecosystem, comprising a diverse group formed by pelagic cnidarians, Communicated by S. Interest in jellyfish has increased as attested by the escalation of scientific literature and technical reports in the general media (Vandendriessche et al 2016). This interest emanates from the global perception that jellyfish blooms have increased, with various consequences for human activities (e.g. fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and power plants) and ecosystems (Purcell et al 2007). The introduction of nonindigenous species (NIS), facilitated either by anthropogenic

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Conclusion