About Aurelia marginalis Agassiz, 1862
Aurelia marginalis Agassiz, 1862 was first described by Louis Agassiz in 1862, after he encountered this jellyfish near Florida. In 1910, Alfred G. Mayer proposed that A. marginalis was a synonym of A. aurita. However, both morphological and genetic evidence confirms that A. marginalis is a distinct separate species. In its medusa life stage, Aurelia marginalis has a body flatter than a hemisphere, and can reach up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. Most of the differences between A. marginalis and A. aurita occur in the polyp stage, and include differences in free amino acid composition, nematocyst types, morphology, and asexual reproduction, as well as genetic differences. This species ranges from Delaware Bay to the West Indies, and occurs throughout the Gulf of Mexico. It is a neritic species, meaning it inhabits shallow coastal waters, and lives in warm water environments.
