Checklist of the Pacific marine macroalgae of Central America

Based on new studies of the type and of specimens from various localities in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, Porolithon onkodes was reaffirmed as a distinct species, but of variable morphological appearance. The following taxa were found to conform to the present-day diagnosis of P. onkodes and they are thus considered heterotypic synonyms thereof: P. antillarum, P. cocosicum P. pachydermum and P. sandvicense. Despite the suggested reproductive isolation of these taxa, there is no valid taxonomic reason for their separation as the characters considered diagnostic of P. onkodes were found to be present in all of them. Also, while molecular analysis using ITS sequence data has suggested that P. onkodes and P. pachydermum are distinct species, the complex and unpredictable evolutionary behaviour of ITS reduce its use for phylogenetic analysis. In many tropical Indo-Pacific and tropical eastern Atlantic regions, P. onkodes has been reported to be one of the single-most important ecological species because of its wide distribution. Similarly, P. pachydermum has been documented as one of the single-most important ecological species in many areas of the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic. As the two taxa are here shown to be conspecific, it is logical to suggest that P. onkodes is arguably one of the most widespread tropical to subtropical nongeniculate coralline algae. Porolithon onkodes not only occurs largely throughout the Indo-Pacific, but as a result of the present study, is now known to commonly occur throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the eastern and notably western Atlantic Ocean.

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“…Distribution:-Porolithon cocosicum is reported only from the eastern Pacific Ocean (Lemoine 1930, Fernández-García et al 2011.…”

Section: Porolithonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic review based on new data of the reef-building alga Porolithon onkodes (Corallinaceae, Corallinales, Rhodophyta) along with other taxa found to be conspecific

Maneveldt

Keats

2014

Phytotaxa

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“…Spongites absimile (Foslie & M.Howe) Afonso-Carrillo and S. yendoi have been cited for the tropical western Atlantic (Wynne 2011). Spongites decipiens, a crustose species originally described from California (Chamberlain 1993), was reported along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica (Fernández-García et al 2011). However, according to our molecular analyses that included data from S. decipiens and S. yendoi from South Africa and New Zealand respectively, the species 6 was resolved unrelated with both taxa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…However, according to our molecular analyses that included data from S. decipiens and S. yendoi from South Africa and New Zealand respectively, the species 6 was resolved unrelated with both taxa. The type species of the genus, S. fruticulosa, has been also cited in the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America under the synonym Lithothamnion fruticulosum (Kützing) Foslie (Dawson 1960, Fernández-García et al 2011. This species has been also widely recorded in the Atlantic and Indian coasts (Guiry & Guiry 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First assessment of the diversity of coralline species forming maerl and rhodoliths in Guadeloupe, Caribbean using an integrative systematic approach

et al. 2014

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The present study documents species of coralline algae that form maerl and rhodoliths in Guadeloupe, Caribbean using an integrative systematic approach of combining molecular (COI-5P, psbA) and morphological/anatomical data. Maerl and rhodoliths were collected by SCUBA and dredging from six localities in Guadeloupe during the Karubenthos Expedition, which was coordinated by the Parc National de la Guadeloupe and the Muséum National d´Histoire Naturelle. Of the twelve maerl and rhodolith specimens collected and sequenced, eight specific entities were delimitated based on the analysis of molecular data: Lithothamnion cf. ruptile, five species of the genus Lithothamnion, one species of the genus Spongites, and the remaining one was either assigned to the genus Lithoporella or Mastophora. Morphological/anatomical data are presented for each of these species. Molecular analyses revealed that Lithothamnion. cf ruptile and other four species (Lithothamnion spp.1-4) were resolved in a distinct lineage than the other Lithothamnion species examined. Nevertheless, these five species were provisionally remained in the genus Lithothamnion based on the presence of flared epithallial cells. Previously, only three species of Lithothamnion have been cited in the Caribbean. Till this study species belonging to the genus Spongites have not been hitherto reported for this region. The specimen identified as either Lithoporella or Mastophora shared anatomical features with both genera. Further examination of reproductive material is required to identify this specimen to a lower taxonomical rank. This study is the first to report the occurrence of maerl and rhodoliths belonging to the genus Lithothamnion at 110 m depth; this record being the deepest for the genus in the Caribbean Sea. Our results have revealed that species diversity of Caribbean maerl has been underestimated and further surveys coupled with an integrative taxonomic approach on this biodiversity hotspot are necessary.

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“…), and Hawaii (400 sp. ), places where C. mydas has been reported to feed mainly on algae (López-Mendilaharsu, Gardner, Riosmena-Rodríguez & Seminoff, 2008, Arthur & Balazs, 2008, Carrión-Cortez, Zárate & Seminoff, 2010Fernández-García, Riosmena-Rodríguez, Wysor, Tejada, & Cortés, 2011).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual abundance of salps and doliolids (Tunicata) around Gorgona Island (Colombian Pacific), and their importance as potential food for green sea turtles

Sampson

Giraldo

2014

RBT

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Gorgona National Park protects fertile waters that support large vertebrates, including green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), and for them, gelatinous zooplankton constitute a food resource that can be found year-round in Gorgona island´s coastal waters. This study was carried out to determine the abundance of salps and doliolids around Gorgona island over a year, and to determine whether this is a resource that could be used reliably year-round by green turtles and other large plankton-feeding predators. The monthly abundance of salps and doliolids at eight coastal stations around Gorgona island (Colombian Pacific) was determined between September 2005 and August 2006. Oblique tows were carried out from 50m to the surface, total zooplankton biomass was measured and the number of salps and doliolids per tow, and frequency of occurrence per station and month were determined. Superficial and bottom sea temperature, superficial and bottom salinity, and chlorophyll-a concentration were recorded at each station. There were tunicate abundance peaks in September 2005 and March 2006. The high abundances in March were probably due to a cold water intrusion into the study area, which resulted in colder saltier water and a shallower thermocline. Tunicates were probably advected to the area by currents from the southwest and aggregated due to the underwater topography. in September, the influence of continental river discharge as well as inputs from rainfall over the island could have provided increased nutrients and resulted in higher abundances. The large filter-feeding vertebrates that feed on tunicates include green sea turtle juveniles, which use coastal waters of Gorgona island as feeding grounds, as part of their migration route in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. These turtles could be using tunicates opportunistically, as a sporadic resource that is available at certain times of the year. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 1): 149-159. Epub 2014 February 01.

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Checklist of the Pacific marine macroalgae of Central America

Cited by 44 publications

References 71 publications

Taxonomic review based on new data of the reef-building alga Porolithon onkodes (Corallinaceae, Corallinales, Rhodophyta) along with other taxa found to be conspecific

Taxonomic review based on new data of the reef-building alga Porolithon onkodes (Corallinaceae, Corallinales, Rhodophyta) along with other taxa found to be conspecific

First assessment of the diversity of coralline species forming maerl and rhodoliths in Guadeloupe, Caribbean using an integrative systematic approach

Annual abundance of salps and doliolids (Tunicata) around Gorgona Island (Colombian Pacific), and their importance as potential food for green sea turtles

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