Revealing diagnostic characters of the box jellyfish Chiropsalmus alipes through high-resolution in situ documentation in the Mexican Tropical Pacific
Ruiz-Hernández et al. In situ morphological documentation of Chiropsalmus alipes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2026.97.5838Keywords:
Cubozoa, Box jellyfish, In situ documentation, Morphological diagnosis, Mexican Tropical PacificAbstract
The confirmation of species distributions and taxonomic identification is critical for documenting biodiversity under increasing anthropogenic pressures. This objective is challenging for gelatinous plankton due to logistical constraints related to safety and preservation. This study documents and validates the taxonomic identity of live individuals of Chiropsalmus alipes from Bahía de Banderas (Mexican Tropical Pacific), using high- resolution in situ video and photographic records. The records reveal a combination of diagnostic external morphological features consistent with C. alipes, including a subquadrangular bell; prominent nematocyst warts on the exumbrella, pedalia, and velarium; spatulate pedalia bearing orange tentacles; and elongated, scalloped gastric saccules, some terminating in an umbonate structure. Several of these characters were more clearly observed in live individuals than in preserved material. These findings demonstrate the taxonomic value of high-quality in situ documentation, provide an integrative morphological interpretation of C. alipes based on live individuals, and support the recognition of the species in the Mexican Tropical Pacific, a region where detailed observations of live cubozoans remain limited.
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