Beroe ovata established a large reproductive population in the Black Sea and began to control the population of M. leidyi by 1999 (Shiganova et al., 2000a). Detailed analysis of the morphology of the new Black Sea ctenophore indicated that it was Beroe ovata sensu Mayer, 1912 (Seravin et al., 2002). This identification was confirmed by Harbison (Harbison, 2001, personal communication) and molecular analyses by Bayha et al. (Bayha et al., 2004).