Re-occurrence of the invasive jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata von Lendenfeld, 1884 in the coast of Egypt and spreading pattern in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The Australian spotted jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata is native to the southwestern Pacific and was introduced to the western tropical Atlantic by the mid-20th century. Phyllorhiza punctata first appeared in the Mediterranean off the Israeli coast in 1965. Since then, it has been reported at various coastal waters along the Mediterranean either as few specimens or recently as swarms, especially in the western basin. The first record of P. punctata in the Mediterranean was in 1991 on El-Arish coast from Egypt. After this record, this species was reported on November 28, 2018 in Port Said, on the southeastern Mediterranean coast of Egypt, in this study. Therefore, this record confirms the re-occurrence of this species in Egypt coasts and reveal the spreading pattern of P. punctata in the Mediterranean. © Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania,