Jellyfish Hitchhikers: Investigating the Genetic Structure and Dispersal Patterns of Ophiocnemis marmorata

This study focuses on Ophiocnemis marmorata, known to perform a parasitic lifestyle, which is extremely rare in echinoderms. Population genetic structure analyses of the relationship between the host jellyfish and the brittle star, including genome-wide SNP analysis, will provide new information on the evolutionary history and ecology of the jellyfish hitchhiker.