The genus Chiropsoides (Chirodropida: Chiropsalmidae) from the Andaman Sea, Thai waters

Abstract

© 2018, The Chinese Society of Oceanography and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Box jellyfish Chiropsoides buitendijki from the coastal zone along the Andaman Sea, southwestern Thailand are characterized by a box-shaped body with unilateral branched tentacles and lack of interradial furrows. Tentacular banding was first reported in the present study with 1–3–2–3–2–3–2–3–1 patterns (1–major band, 2–thicker minor band and 3–thinner minor band). The DNA sequences of 18 S ribosomal RNA genes indicated that the specimen examined were genetically similar to C. buitendijki that was previously identified from the Nam Bor Bay, Phuket, Thailand, and distinct to the other known taxa in the order Chirodropida. In addition, a significant genetic divergence based on 16S mitochondrial gene was observed within the C. buitendijki samples. This indicates a population genetic differentiation but needs further confirmation.