'Fried egg' jellyfish choose the beaches of Ceuta

 'Fried egg' jellyfish choose the beaches of Ceuta

So far this summer season, this species has appeared on several occasions on the coast of Ceuta

This past weekend there was a new sighting of the 'fried egg' jellyfish on the beaches of Ceuta. A bather raised the alarm in the Tarajal area, where a few minutes later the Marsave team acted effectively. “We asked a biologist to offer us information and after that, we followed the instructions which were to throw it back into the sea,” explains one of the lifeguards.

The solution was this, there was no other. But it did fuel the uncertainty of those present because this was the second time, at least known, that it happened during the summer season.

“In Ceuta it is not common for this species to appear so often,” says Francisco Javier Martínez, Obimasa biologist. Scientifically, these invertebrate animals are called 'Cotylorhiza tuberculata', which have also made an appearance in the area of Murcia, Melilla and Almería this summer. “This must be a phenomenon on a regional scale, in the Alboran Sea and the Mediterranean. This year they will have had a strong population increase,” explains the specialist, making it clear that “they are harmless” and that “they should be left in the water.”

“The bite does not have a significant risk, its arms are slightly stinging”

If this marine animal is so rejected for one reason, it is because of its sting, which in reality does not cause serious problems for people.

From this research to which mention is made and under the criteria of Francisco Javier Martínez, 'Cotylorhiza tuberculata' is not poisonous. “He has no significant risk, his arms are slightly stinging. But it depends on the person or the part of the body,” explains the biologist. However, those who do have to be a little more cautious are those users who suffer from “more or less sensitive skin.”

As for the characteristics, they can reach 30 centimeters in diameter and consist of eight tentacles, being considered one of the two largest species seen along the Mediterranean coast.

The people of Ceuta look at the beaches with a magnifying glass, although "they should not be afraid because if these polyps appear on more occasions, they will do so in isolation." These two have been specific cases, so they should not lead to fear among bathers. For the remainder of the summer, the mackerel can bathe in complete peace of mind.

Despite this, the Obimasa biologist comments that "they must be kept in the aquatic environment because they have to fulfill their ecological function." That is, these “are important in the marine ecosystem. They fulfill a vital function in the food chain, since they are food for sea turtles and other species,” says Martínez.

On the other hand, “they become a refuge for fry of horse mackerel, serious, salemas and bogas, among others. These young fish are immune to its poison and find in jellyfish a way to hide from other predators and go unnoticed."

Insects in Ceuta

 Insects in Ceuta

Until now, the National Catalogue was made up of a large number of species from the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, collecting many endemic species from these areas; but the unique species present in the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla had been ignored. The Autonomous City of Ceuta, because it is located in North Africa  and in one area, the Tingitana Peninsula, with its high biodiversity, it is home to numerous exclusively North African taxa and several endemic Tingitans. Thus, in the Spanish State and the entire European Union, this group of species is only present in the territory of the Autonomous City of Ceuta.

The three species of insects included correspond to beetles and are: Chasmatopterus zonatus, Carabus riffensis and Dorysthenes forficatus; the first is only known worldwide from Ceuta (cliffs of Monte Hacho), the second from forested areas of Ceuta and western Rif and the third from palm heart areas of Ceuta and northwestern Morocco. The first two have been listed as "vulnerable" and the third as "of special interest". These three taxa show high  scientist interest.

MORE INFORMATION HERE: Obimase

Three new species of butterflies in Ceuta

Three new species of butterflies in Ceuta

A team of members of the Spanish Association for the Protection of Butterflies and their Environment expands the list of species

Already in 2019 it was reported that the "Maghreb harlequin" (Zerynthia africana) and the "Maghreb aurora" (Anthocharis belia) are part of the Spanish fauna, due to the existence of populations in Ceuta. A recent study provides novel information on three endemic species of the Maghreb that also exist in Ceuta. These are the "Maghrebi ocellada" (Coenonympha arcanioides), the "Maghrebi sertorium" (Spialia ali) and the "Maghrebi sea bream" (Thymelicus hamza)

The five Maghrebi species whose presence in Ceuta has been confirmed, extend the Spanish list of diurnal butterflies to reach the impressive figure of 258, the highest of the EU states, after Italy.

The study undertaken in Ceuta is making it possible to learn about the species of butterflies present at the northern end of the Tangier peninsula, since until now no scientific work had been carried out there on this group of invertebrates.

Ants

                                             The Ants

 Insects are invertebrate animals of the arthropod phylum. A team of scientists discovers 50 species of ants in Ceuta

They comprise the most diverse group of animals on Earth, of which approximately one million different species are known, each of them with a very abundant number of members.

To date we have found 50 species, something that has surprised us a lot for the area of Ceuta.

                                                                                    VIDEO 

• Restless and voracious, army ant colonies are like nature's Mongolian hordes. They kill and devour everything in their path and even digest it while tearing it apart. Images from the program “The Most Dangerous”.

 

Ants contribute to the control of the olive moth pest

Ants are essential species to maintain the functionality of soil ecosystems, since they are capable of changing their role in the trophic or food chain depending on the characteristics of each place.

Jellyfish in Ceuta

A GIANT jellyfish has been discovered in off the coast of Ceuta by the Centre              for Studies and Conservation of Marine Animals (CECAM).

The find is described as ‘extremely rare’ and has been put down to the effects of climate change.

The species is known as a ‘Rhizostoma Luteum’ and can weight up to 40kg.

Scientists began noticing the surge in giant jellyfish in the summer of 2012, when 50 were observed off Spain’s Mediterranean coast.