The occurrence of Rhopilema verrilli (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae) on Galveston Island, Texas and a discussion on its distribution in U.S. waters
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Abstract
A specimen of the rhizostome scyphomedusa Rhopilema verrilli was stranded on the beach at Galveston Island, Texas, in the spring of 1985. Two young specimens have since been collected in the marshes on the north side of Galveston bordering West Galveston Bay. This species is relatively rare throughout most of its range and has only been reported once before in the western Gulf of Mexico. Seasonal and geographic distributions from literature records are discussed in relation to temperature, salinity, currents, and life history. The authors believe that R. verrilli 's apparent rarity in the western Gulf of Mexico results primarily from a combination of wind-driven current patterns, timing of volume of Mississippi-Autchafalaya River discharge, and temperature-salinity tolerances of the species acting against transport into, and survival in, the western Gulf