Table 1.

Data summarizing the occurrence, envenomations (+ = infrequent; ++ = frequent; +++ = very frequent), poisonousness (+ = scarce; ++ = middle, +++ = quite high) and morphological types of nematocysts of the main Mediterranean scyphozoan jellyfish. The numbers in brackets correspond to the references. (*) in scyphistomae polyps. (**) reports from non-Mediterranean zones show variable stinging potency [62–64].

Species	Occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea	Cases of envenomation	Poisonousness	Described nematocysts
Aurelia aurita	whole Mediterranean Sea [65], whole Black Sea [66] (mainly coastal)	+ (**)	+ (**)	heterotrichous microbasic eurytele [67,68] (*); atrichous isorhiza (“a” atrichs, oviform polyspiras) [67,68] (*); heterotrichous microbasic rhopaloid [45] (*) homotrichous isorhiza haploneme [45] (*) heterotrichous microbasic eurytele [45] isorhiza with subsperical capsule [45]
Chrysaora hysoscella	mainly Adriatic Sea [69,70–72], Ionian Sea [69], Ligurian Sea [73], Eastern Turkey coasts [74]	+	++	three undescribed types [75]
Pelagia noctiluca	whole Mediterranean Sea [9,10]	+++	+++	heterorichous microbasic eurytele [76]; heterotrichous isorhiza [76]; holotrichous-a-isorhiza [76]; atrichous-a-isorhiza [76]; undescribed type [76]
Cotylorhiza tuberculata	whole Mediterranean Sea [69,71,73,77–85]	none	no	euryteles [33]; birhopaloid (type II) [33]
Rhizostoma pulmo	mainly Adriatic Sea [69,71,77], Ionian Sea [69], Ligurian Sea [73], Eastern Mediterranean [74,86], Tunisian waters [87] Western Mediterranean [81–85] Black Sea [66]	++	++	heterotrichous microbasic eurytele [76]; holotrichous isorhiza [76]; atrichous-a-isorhiza [76]; atrichous isorhiza [76]
Rhopilema nomadica	Eastern Mediterranean [88–96]	++/+++	++/+++	heterotrichous isorhiza haploneme [97]; holotrichous isorhiza haploneme [97]; heterotrichous microbasic eurytele [97]