Temporal fluctuations in abundance and size of the giant jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai medusae in the northern East China Sea, 2006–2017

The abundance and size of the giant jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) medusae collected by midwater trawl from 2006 to 2017 in the northern East China Sea (nECS) were investigated. While absent in 2008 and 2011, in other years, medusae were prevalent in June and July, rare in October, and not found from January to May. This seasonality in medusa abundance might be related to the life cycle characteristics of this species, with strobilation...