Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from coral reefs in the Mexican Pacific.
There are numerous and important coral reefs in the Mexican Pacific, but scarce studies of brittle stars conducted in these ecosystems. In this regard, this work provides the first annotated checklist of brittle stars associated with coral communities and reefs in the Mexican Pacific and an illustrated key to identify the species. We also provide taxonomic descriptions, spatial and bathymetric distributions and some important remarks of the species. We report a total of 14 species of brittle stars belonging to nine genera and seven families. Ophiocnida hispida in Jalisco, Ophiophragmus papillatus in Guerrero, and Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata and Ophiactis simplex in Colima are new distribution records. The record of O. papillatus is remarkable because the species has not been reported since its description in 1940. The brittle stars collected in this study, represent 22.2% of the total species previously reported from the Mexican Pacific. Presently, anthropogenic activities on the coral reefs of the Mexican Pacific have increased, thus the biodiversity of brittle stars in these ecosystems may be threatened.
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. Av. de las Ciencias s/n, Juriquilla, 76230, Querétaro, México.
Rebeca
R
Granja-Fernández
Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas. Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, 23096, La Paz, B.C.S., México.
María D
MD
Herrero-Pérezrul
Departamento de Hidrobiología, División CBS, UAM-Iztapalapa. Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, 09340, AP 55-535, DF, México.
Ramón A
RA
López-Pérez
Departamento Académico de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur. Carretera al sur km. 5.5, 23080, AP 19-B, La Paz, B.C.S, México.
Luis
L
Hernández
Laboratorio de Ecosistemas Marinos y Acuicultura, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara. Carretera a Nogales km 15.5, Las Agujas-Nextipac, 45110, Zapopan, Jalisco, México.
Fabián A
FA
Rodríguez-Zaragoza
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. Av. de las Ciencias s/n, Juriquilla, 76230, Querétaro, México.
Robert Wallace
RW
Jones
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. Av. de las Ciencias s/n, Juriquilla, 76230, Querétaro, México.
Rubén
R
Pineda-López
Brittle stars; Mexico; checklist; identification key; reef zones