title: Monodisc strobilation in Japanese giant box jellyfish Morbakka virulenta (Kishinouye, 1910): a strong implication of phylogenetic similarity between Cubozoa and Scyphozoa.
abstract: Both sexes of the Japanese giant box jellyfish Morbakka virulenta were collected from the Seto Inland Sea, western Japan in December 2011, in order to observe the developmental processes from polyps to medusae. The medusa production in M. virulenta is up to now a unique process in cubozoans in that it exhibits a form of monodisc strobilation where the polyp is regenerated before the medusa detaches. This mode of medusa production was previously thought to be exclusive to scyphozoans. The general shape of young medusae resembles that of other cubozoans such as Alatina moseri and Copula sivickisi, but is differentiated from these by the short capitate tentacles and the lack of gastric filaments in the stomach. The unique medusa production of M. virulenta highly implies a phylogenetic similarity between cubozoans and scyphozoans.
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan.|Kuroshio Biological Research Foundation, Nishidomari, Otsuki, Hata, Kochi 788-0333, Japan.
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toshino
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.affiliation: Setouchi Field Science Center, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Minato-machi, Takehara, Hiroshima, 725-0024, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.affiliation: Enoshima Aquarium, Katasekaigan, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 251-0035, Japan.
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.affiliation: Setouchi Field Science Center, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Minato-machi, Takehara, Hiroshima, 725-0024, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Setouchi Field Science Center, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Minato-machi, Takehara, Hiroshima, 725-0024, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Setouchi Field Science Center, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Minato-machi, Takehara, Hiroshima, 725-0024, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
authors.affiliation: Kamogawa Seaworld, Higashi-cho, Kamogawa, Chiba, 296-0041, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiratsuka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D037462:Cubozoa / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000254:growth & development*