First record of Cotylorhiza tuberculata (Macri, 1778) from the Sea of Marmara

Abstract

Jellyfishes, which are one of the most important consumers in marine ecosystems, may have detri-mental effects on fish stocks that have economic value. Therefore, identifying and monitoring jelly-fish presence is important. We observed four individuals of symbiotic rhizostome scyphozoan Cot-ylorhiza tuberculata in the vicinity of the Princes’ Islands Archipelago, in the Northeast Sea of Marmara, Turkey in September 2020. Although this species is a common member of gelatinous plankton in the Mediterranean Sea, the present study is the first record from the Sea of Marmara.