Hong Kong Jellyfish Project's Journal

對在香港觀察水母而言，今年是有趣的一年！我們收到不少罕見品種的出沒報告，了解更多水母在香港的分佈。透過箱型水母 的幾次出沒報告，我們確認香港水域有這品種的存在。在國外被視為侵入性的珍珠水母亦在香港出現了。外型漂亮的Thysanostoma loriferum也曾有出沒報告，大家可以更細心留意這些漂亮的品種！
This year has been an exciting one for jellyfish observations in Hong Kong! Some uncommon species have been reported again telling us more about jellyfish presence and distribution in Hong Kong. The box jellyfish Morbakka sp. has been seen several times, confirming its continued presence in Hong Kong, as well as with the white-spotted jellyfish, Phyllorhiza punctata, considered invasive elsewhere in the world. The beautiful Thysanostoma loriferum has also been reported again, so keep an eye out for this amazing species!

如你在香港水域中發現水母，請透過我們的網頁、iNaturailst或社交平台通知香港水母普查。無論水母是否罕見，每一次對水母的觀察對發掘更多香港水母的知識都很重要！
Please let the HKJP know about any jellyfish you see in Hong Kong waters through the website, iNaturalist or social media. Every one of your observations of jellyfish, whether common or uncommon, is important and helps build our knowledge of jellyfish in Hong Kong!

Chrysaora chinensis can be found across the China seas, Philippines, and Indonesia. Interestingly, C. chinensis was first described by Vanhöffen (1888) from a specimen found near Hong Kong, though unfortunately that original specimen has been lost.
在中國海、菲律賓與印尼都可以找到Chrysaora chinensis的身影。有趣的是，Vanhöffen（1888）是在靠近海香港的水域裏首次發現C.chinensis的，可惜第一個樣本已經遺失了。

Divers in Hong Kong have told the HKJP that Chrysaora chinensis tends to be more frequent in September, however reports are coming in about them during this month.
雖然香港的潛水參與者曾向水母普查報告Chrysaora chinensis更常於九月出現，但這個月我們也收到不少發現報告。

The recently spotted Morbakka box jellyfish is exciting to see in Hong Kong! This is a rarely seen jellyfish locally, however the HKJP was able to publish a new sightings record of these jellyfish, spotted in Hong Kong in 2022.
最近出現的Morbakka箱型水母是香港水域的重要發現！雖然這是本地較罕見的水母，但香港水母普查亦曾公開過這種水母在2022年初次出現的行蹤報告。
https://checklist.pensoft.net/article/102435/list/9/

The genus name “Morbakka” comes from “Moreton Bay carybdeid”, a bay in Australia where it was first described. The species being spotted in Hong Kong is possibly Morbakka virulenta, a species described from Japan, though further research is needed to confirm this. Be careful when you see this box jellyfish, as it does have a “fiery sting” according to the World Atlas of Jellyfish, though it is not considered lethal.

Morbakka的屬名由摩頓灣燈水母（Moreton Bay carybdeid）而來，摩頓灣位於澳洲，是此品種的水母首次被發現的地方。出現在香港的品種很可能是在日本被發現的Morbakka virulenta，不過要確認的話仍然需要更多研究。若看到這種箱型水母的話要小心，因為根據世界水母圖冊，牠所造成的蟄傷雖不致命，卻會造成刺痛。

If you see this or other jellyfish in Hong Kong, please let the HKJP know through the website, iNaturalist project or social media!
如你在香港看到此品種或其他品種的水母，可透過網頁、iNaturalist或社交平台通知水母普查！

The HKJP in collaboration with the GigaDB curation team and the GBIF: The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Asia Regional Support Team published a dataset of citizen scientists’ jellyfish observations in Hong Kong from 2021 to 2023. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed jellyfish sightings to the Hong Kong Jellyfish Project website and on iNaturalist over the past three years!!
香港水母普查與GigaDB團隊及全球生物多樣性資訊機構（GBIF）合作，發表了2021-2023年公民科學家所貢獻的水母目擊報告相關資料集。非常感謝過去三年為香港水母普查網頁及iNaturalist 作出貢獻的各位公民科學家！

The contributions made by each and every one of you by sharing your jellyfish sightings made this addition to knowledge about jellyfish in Hong Kong possible! Thank you all!
每一位與我們分享水母行蹤的公民科學家，你們所作出的貢獻對發現這項水母新知識都有莫大幫助，非常感謝你們！

You can follow the link below to read the article: 論文網址如下：
https://gigabytejournal.com/articles/125

Stay involved by sharing your jellyfish observations and let friends and family know about citizen science and the Hong Kong Jellyfish Project!

作為公民科學家的一份子，請持續與我們分享水母行蹤，也讓家人朋友更了解香港水母普查計劃及公民科學！

As spring comes, it is possible to spot jellyfish as they bloom in Hong Kong waters or get swept in from elsewhere. It is commonly thought that jellyfish occur mostly in the summer, however observations from citizen scientists like you have shown that large numbers of jellyfish occur in Hong Kong waters during the spring time. When summer comes, the monsoon switches direction and other species of jellyfish can be spotted in Hong Kong.

隨春天來臨，香港水域中的水母暴發，香港水域以外的水母亦可能會流入，我們很大機會能觀察到水母出現。水母通常被認為多在夏天出現，但從像大家一樣的公民科學家觀察所得，在香港水域中，大多數水母出現在春季。當夏季來臨，季候風風向改變，香港水域中會出現其他品種的水母。

Since the jellyfish are appearing in Hong Kong now, keep looking for them and let the Hong Kong Jellyfish Project know what you see! You can share your sightings through the website (www.hkjellyfish.com), iNaturalist project (hong-kong-jellyfish-project), or social media.
水母正頻繁地在香港水域出現，請持續觀察並告訴水母普查你的所見所聞！你可以在我們的網站 (www.hkjellyfish.com)、iNaturalist計劃網站 (hong-kong-jellyfish-project) 或社交媒體上與我們目擊資料。

香港水母普查（www.hkjellyfish.com）目前進入成立後的第四個年頭，包括大家在內的公民科學家已經為我們貢獻了幾百宗水母或其他浮游動物的行蹤，為發掘香港水域的知識提供了莫大幫助。作為iNaturalist與刺胞動物研究的主要參與者，本人希望邀請您與我們分享您對於香港多元生態環境的發現。每一次發現水母都對我們研究香港水母的存在

包括您在內的公民科學家已為本地水母品種紀錄以及關於水母何時何地出現的新資訊貢獻良多，幫助我們增加在香港水域出現的水母相關知識。香港水母普查希望藉助大家的幫忙，繼續為水母相關知識作出貢獻！請到我們的網站www.hkjellyfish.com 參閱更多資訊。

The Hong Kong Jellyfish Project (www.hkjellyfish.com) is now entering its fourth year and citizen scientists just like you have contributed hundreds of sightings of jellyfish and other gelatinous plankton, contributing to greatly increased knowledge about them in Hong Kong waters. As top contributors of iNaturalist observations and Cnidarian observations in Hong Kong, I am reaching out to invite you to share sightings of jellyfish you see during your encounters with Hong Kong’s biodiversity. Every observation of jellyfish is important to learning more about their presence, abundance, and distribution in Hong Kong.

Observations from citizen scientists like you have contributed to new local jellyfish species records, new knowledge about when and where jellyfish occur, and continue to increase our knowledge of what jellyfish are present in Hong Kong waters. The Hong Kong Jellyfish Project hopes to continue adding to knowledge of jellyfish in Hong Kong with your help! More information about the HKJP can be found on the website www.hkjellyfish.com.

Thank you!

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There was a large increase in reports of Chrysaora chinensis this year, too, with a corresponding increase in the number of stings reported to the HKJP. Though beautiful with its long trailing oral arms and tentacles, this species has a painful sting.

今年中華黃金水母的行蹤報告亦有所增加，向水母普查報告的相關蟄傷亦隨之變多。這種水母雖然有長長的口腕及觸手，外型美麗，但會造成疼痛的蟄傷。

There were also multiple sightings of Physalia physalis, the Portuguese Man O’War, a rare visitor to Hong Kong. This is an unmistakable species with a gas-filled purple or blue float helping it move through the water.
俗稱「葡萄牙戰艦」的僧帽水母雖然很少在香港出現，今年也出現了幾次。僧帽水帽相當容易辨認，有着藍或紫色的氣體腺，以便浮於海面移動。

For the first time, a species of crown jellyfish called Cephea cephea was reported in Hong Kong! It looks similar to Netrostoma, however C. cephea has long trailing filaments from its oral arms. Please report every jellyfish you see, as it may be a new species record for Hong Kong! 一種學名Cephea cephea的皇冠水母首次出現在香港！牠與蝶形棱口水母外型類似，但C.cephea的口腕有長觸鬚。請向我們匯報你看到的每一隻水母，讓我們不會錯過在香港出現的新品種！

Anecdotally, Chrysaora chinensis shows up in Hong Kong around September. It is found in the central Indo-Pacific region, and its sting is considered dangerous making it a nuisance to recreational watersports participants. It is not considered edible. Previously there has been some question as to how much overlap it has with other Chrysaora species, but it is now considered a valid species.

傳聞Chrysaora chinensis約莫九月會在香港出現，在印度洋-太平洋海域中央會發現他們的身影。牠們所造成的蟄傷是很危險的，對參與水上運動的人們亦會造成威脅。此品種亦是不可食用的。早前亦有人質疑牠與其他黃金屬水母有何不同，但現時已被視為一個獨立品種。

In June, Acromitus flagellatus has been reported in large numbers across southern Hong Kong and especially in the Discovery Bay area. This species is known to be a blooming species in Chinese waters and is more frequently seen in coastal waters around estuaries and mangroves across the Indo-Pacific. The sting is mild compared to other species, likely producing only some skin irritation. Acromitus flagellatus are opportunistic feeders of zooplankton.

六月開始在香港南部，特別是淺水灣一帶發現大量端鞭水母的行蹤。據了解，這個品種在中國海一帶綻放，經常出沒在印度—太平洋一帶的河口岸邊與紅樹林中。牠們引發的蟄傷比一般品種輕微重，只會對皮膚造成刺激。端鞭水母亦是一些浮游生物其中一種可能的食物。