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Performance of large-scale stow nets for investigating jellyfish

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  • Fisheries
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Abstract

Jellyfish blooms have become more frequent and hazardous to the ecosystem, fisheries, facilities, and tourism. However, capturing jellyfish and preserving their integrity can be challenging due to their gelatinous, soft, and fragile nature. In this study, we evaluated the performance of several stow nets for sampling different jellyfish species. We found that tailored sampling gears were necessary to minimize injuries during large-scale net sampling processes. Specifically, bursiform-type nets were superior for harmlessly sampling small medusae of both species and large medusae of Aurelia coerulea, while a plane-type net with a 100-mm mesh size was more effective for capturing large medusae of Nemopilema nomurai. The results suggested that stow nets could collect large quantities of jellyfish samples while preserving their integrity, making them an effective tool for investigating jellyfish. Our findings allowed us to precisely evaluate the correlation between jellyfish bell diameter and wet weight, which can provide accurate population estimates for further studies. It may also significantly improve the sample size of jellyfish and make the verification process for acoustics and other techniques more accurate.

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Abbreviations

BN:

Bursiform-type net

PN:

Plane-type net

S:

Small mesh size

L:

Large mesh size

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to all the personnel of the research vessels for their help during jellyfish sampling, and in particular to the experienced captain. We would like to thank Assistant Professor Makoto Tomiyasu of the Graduate School of Fisheries Science, Hokkaido University, for his helpful advice when preparing this paper. This research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China [grant number 2017YFSC1404404]; and the Global Environment Facility [grant number 00087001].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 0418611, Japan

    Chuan Jia

  2. Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 0418611, Japan

    Yasuzumi Fujimori

  3. National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, Liao Ning, 116023, China

    Xiaocheng Wang & Chunjiang Guan

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  1. Chuan Jia
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  2. Yasuzumi Fujimori
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  3. Xiaocheng Wang
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  4. Chunjiang Guan
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Correspondence to Chunjiang Guan.

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Jia, C., Fujimori, Y., Wang, X. et al. Performance of large-scale stow nets for investigating jellyfish. Fish Sci 89, 595–603 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-023-01700-x

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