Effects of temperature shifts on strobilation

PEREYRA, D. Y.; SCHIARITI, A.

Simposio; 6TH INTERNATIONAL JELLYFISH BLOOMS SYMPOSIUM; 2019

Strobilation is influenced by a combination ofdifferent factors among which temperature plays a major role. Yet, the way thatstrobilation is controlled by temperature shows considerable variations betweenspecies/lineages, sites/locations, and even within the same populations. Inaddition to this natural variability, the diversity of utilized methodologies hasbeen highly diverse hindering the comparison of results. Unless thestrobilation is studied under a common methodology, the distinction between theeffect the natural and artificial variability will keep faint. Therefore, we tested an experimental protocol to study thetemperature effects on strobilation that would allow replication and comparisonof results between laboratories. Through this protocol, we investigated theeffects of temperature-change schedules on the strobilation of four scyphistomaespecies. We observed that strobilation is triggered by a set of differentfactors among which temperature shifts play a key role in all the studiedspecies. However, specific responses vary among them. Strobilation wastriggered by temperature increases and inhibited by temperature drops in Lychnorhiza lucerna, Stomolophus meleagris, and Cephea cephea. Conversely, temperaturedrops induced strobilation in Aureliacoerulea. Finally, we suggest that the identification of thefactors regulating strobilation rates could be split into the inducing factors, the inhibiting ones, and those that controlthe number of ephyrae produced.