Opportunistic observations made in the St Lucia estuarine lake, mainly during the period 1991 to 2000, show that the rhizostomatid scyphozoan Crambionella stuhlmanni often forms aggregations with densities in excess of 1 ind.m-3. Its salinity tolerance varies in the range of 12–65 ‰, with the highest jellyfish concentrations often observed at hypersaline levels of 40–65 ‰. Considering that the species has persisted in the system under the present closed mouth conditions, it is suggested that it is capable of completing its life cycle within the estuarine lake. Its role in the ecosystem needs to be investigated, with emphasis on its potential ability to remove suspended sediment particles from the water-column.
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14 May 2013
Observations on the Bloom-Forming Jellyfish Crambionella stuhlmanni (Chun, 1896) in the St Lucia Estuary, South Africa
R. Perissinotto,
R. H. Taylor,
N. K. Carrasco,
C. Fox
![](/ContentImages/journals/afin/54/1/1/WebImages/afin.054.0100.cover.jpg)
African Invertebrates
Vol. 54 • No. 1
June 2013
Vol. 54 • No. 1
June 2013
Crambionella stuhlmanni
estuarine lake
iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Jellyfish
salinity tolerance
Scyphozoa
St Lucia