Two new species of medusae (Cnidaria) from the coastal waters of the northern Beibu Gulf

Medusae in 116 samples collected from the coastal waters of the northern Beibu Gulf during four seasonal oceanographic cruises from October 2017 to August 2018 were analyzed. In total, 34 species were identified. Two of the species are new to science, Proboscidactyla pentacanalis Xu, Chen & Yang sp. nov. and Helgicirrha apapillata Xu, Chen & Wang sp. nov., and three species are newly recorded in the Beibu Gulf, i.e., Hydractinia vacuolata Xu & Huang, 2006, Proboscidactyla flavicirrata Brandnt, 1834 and Phialella macrogona Xu, Huang & Wang, 1985. Collections of the species were deposited at the Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources.