Improved Culture of Aurelia Aurita Scyphistomae for Bioassay and Research

Author Institution: Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State UniversityA number of significant pollutants are being found in aquatic environments. Generally, there are no standardized methods or commonly used animal species for bioassay of toxicants. Our study describes a method by which genetically cloned scvphistoma larvae can be grown in chemically defined media and under standardized conditions. We report a 10-step procedure to culture Aurelia aurita scyphistomae successfully on frosted glass microscope slides. Attached scyphozoa larvae are particularly appropriate for both bioassay and physiological research. We reared continuous generations of Aurelia aurita in our laboratory for the past 15 years on a diet consisting of nauplii of Artemia salina. We have found that all available strains of Artemia cysts provide an adequate diet for the Aurelia polyp