Freshwater Jellyfish

Freshwater Jellyfish(Craspedacusta sowerbyi)	
Freshwater Jellyfish(Craspedacusta sowerbyi)
Image required 	Image required
Invasive Status 	Invasive Status
Mildly Invasive 	Population increasing
Natural Range 	Natural Range
*Yangtze river valley, China 	
*Yangtze river valley, China
Introduced Range 	Introduced Range
*North America
*Central America
*Brazil
*Australasia
*Guam
*South-east Asia
*Japan
*Taiwan
*India
*Middle East
*Central Zambezi river
*Southern Africa
*Europe	
*North America
*Central America
*Brazil
*Australasia
*Guam
*South-east Asia
*Japan
*Taiwan
*India
*Middle East
*Central Zambezi river
*Southern Africa
*Europe
Pathways 	Pathways
Shipping with aquacultural species	Shipping with aquacultural species
Impacts 	Impacts
Predation of native species 	
Predation of native species
Control Methods 	Control Methods
None 	
None
The freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbyi) is a very small jellyfish used in aquarium hobby tanks.
==Range==
===Native Range===
The freshwater jellyfish is native to the Yangtze river valley in southern China. [1]
===Introduced Range===
====North America====
The freshwater jellyfish can be found as far north as the border between Ontario and Quebec in Canada and New York state in the United States of America. [2]
Within the USA, the freshwater jellyfish is widespread, with the largest populations in the eastern half of the country, especially towards the north-east. They are also present on the Hawaiian island of Mua'i. [3]
It is also present in the states of Nuevo Leon and Sinaloa in Mexico. [3]
====Central America====
The freshwater jellyfish has been seen in Guatemala as well as at a tributary to the Panama Canal. [8]
====South America====
This species is thought to be present in many parts of South America. [3/6] It is known to be present in parts of Brazil. [4]
====Oceania====
The freshwater jellyfish is present in much of Australia ([8]) especially to the south-west and south-east. [5] They are also present in New Zealand. [7/8]
These jellyfish have also been seen in Guam. [8]
====Asia====
The freshwater jellyfish seems to be most prevelent in Asia in the south-east. They have been found in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia, in north-east Thailand and in Laos. It is also present in Hyago Prefecture in south Japan and south Taiwan. [8]
These jellyfish are also present in west and north India, Iraq and Israel. [8]
Africa
Freshwater jellyfish have also been sighted on the Zambezi river between Zambia and Zimbabwe, west Mozambique, north-east Botswana and southern, eastern and northern South Africa (9) . [8]
====Europe====
The freshwater jellyfish has been recorded in Kalininskiy District in west Russia. It has also been seen in south-west Poland, throughout Slovakia, in south-west Bulgaria, throughout Serbia, west Romania, throughout Austria, north and west Italy, throughout Germany, throughout the Netherlands, south-east Belgium, throughout France throughout England, south Wales & even east Scotland in the UK, throughout Spain and the southern half of Portugal. [8]
It has also been recorded in Finland, Sweden and Lithuania. [1]
The freshwater jellyfish is also present in Cyprus. [8]
==Pathways and Introduction==
The freshwater jellyfish is porbably transported in its larval stage, when it is very difficult to notice, or even microscopic. It may then be brought to new countries with other aquatic species. [1/3]
This species was originally described in water-lily tanks in Regent's Park, London, outside of it's native range. It was first recorded on the European mainland in France in 1901. [1]
These jellyfish were first seen in Guam in 1970. [3]
==Impacts==
It is thought that freshwater jellyfish may affect the zooplantonic structure, as they prefer to prey on larger zooplankton. There are also fears that they could predate fish larvae and eggs, although this theory is sometimes disputed. [3]
It has also been speculated that these jellyfish could reduce the oxygen content of the water during population explosions. [1]
==Control and Removal Methods==
Since invasive population explosions are erratic and rare ([1]) , this species is not considered a notable invasive concern and so no control methods have been put in place. [1/3]
==Sources==
1 NOBANIS - European Network on Invasive Alien Species (pdf)(1)
2 Aquatic Biodiversity Monitoring Network
3 United States Geological Survey Nonindigenous Aquatic Species
4 Scielo.br: "Occurrence of the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii (Lankester, 1880) (Hydrozoa, Limnomedusae) in a calcareous lake in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil" (pdf)
5 Atlas of Living Australia
6 Encyclopedia of Life
7 NOBANIS - European Newtwork on Invasive Alien Species (pdf)(2)
8 FreshwaterJellyfish.org
9 IOL News: "Alien species invade SA waters"
Category:Animals
Category:Cnidarians
Category:Jellyfish
Category:Canada
Category:USA
Category:Hawaii (US)
Category:Mexico
Category:Guatemala
Category:Panama
Category:Brazil
Category:Australia
Category:New Zealand
Category:Guam
Category:Malaysia
Category:Thailand
Category:Laos
Category:Japan
Category:Taiwan
Category:India
Category:Iraq
Category:Israel
Category:Zambia
Category:Zimbabwe
Category:Mozambique
Category:Botswana
Category:South Africa
Category:Russia
Category:Poland
Category:Slovakia
Category:Bulgaria
Category:Serbia
Category:Romania
Category:Austria
Category:Italy
Category:Germany
Category:Netherlands
Category:Belgium
Category:France
Category:UK
Category:Spain
Category:Portugal
Category:Finland
Category:Sweden
Category:Lithuania
Category:Cyprus