User:Tid0ubleg3rr/Mawia

Description
The mawia is a rare species of jellyfish which has only been reportedly observed in the Atlantic Ocean and the Adriatic Sea. After initially being identified as Pelagia benovici by Piraino in 2014, it was later placed into the new genus Mawia by Avian in 2016. As of today, very little is known about the mawia, including its sex determination due to its rarity.

Morphology
In its new discovery, the morphology of Mawia Pelagia was initially identified using comparative morphological anatomy from other Pelagiidae Genera. Mawia, like other jellyfish, possess a hemispherical-shaped bell body which has a diameter ranging between 3 to 7 cm. This hemispherical bell is moderately flattened towards the top. The general coloration of this bell is between red and orange, though some recorded specimens possessed reddish and darker coloration. The mesoglea, the outer layer of Cnidarians, is comparatively thick in Mawia, yet soft. Connected to the bell, Mawia contain smooth marginal tentacles which are used to provide sensory information as well as a defense mechanism from predation. The tentacles do not possess coloration compared to the rest of it, being more transparent than anything. Mawia also contain sensory complexes called interradial rhopalium, which are located within the interradial radius of the bell.

Distribution of Mawia
Mawia jellyfish have been collected around non-native areas of the Adriatic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, though observations have also been recorded in the Gulf of Trieste and Po Delta. Other studies have recorded observations of its appearance offshore from Senegal as well. Its native range is still largely unknown yet its presence in areas west of Africa are thought to be a result of commercial shipping or fishing.

Reproduction, diet, life stages, and movement
Very little is known about the reproduction of this species. In the Adriatic Sea, only male mawia jellyfish have been able to be observed with only one single female reportedly observed. On top of its rarity in nature, the sex of a mawia jellyfish can only be identified at its medusa stage (the reproductive stage), which has made it very difficult to understand the reproductive functions of this species. As of now, there are really no major differences between male and female mawia, aside from the large male presence of mawia in the Adriatic Sea.