Stomolophus meleagris

Remarks: North and South American specimens were considered as different species by some authors (e. g., Mayer 1910; Kramp 1961) in the past. Here we consider all records as a single species, until the completion of further detailed morphological / molecular studies on the taxa. Edible species, currently under commercial exploitation in the Gulf of Mexico (Rudloe 1996). Distribution in South America: medusa — Pacific Ocean, Ecuador (Guayaquil) to Peru, from 2 ° S to 11 ° S (Ranson 1945; Kramp 1968); Atlantic Ocean, Colombia to Argentina, from 10 ° N to 38 ° S (Haeckel 1880; Ranson 1945; Vannucci 1957 a; Kramp 1961; Mianzan 1989 a; Morandini et al. 2005 a; Soares et al. 2009; Silveira & Morandini 2011). Habitat: neritic species commonly found in estuaries and in coastal waters (Mayer 1910).