Identification guide to the heterobranch sea slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Bocas del Toro, Panama

Abstract

Background: The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is located off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Until now, only 19 species of heterobranch sea slugs have been formally reported from this area; this number constitutes a fraction of total diversity in the Caribbean region. Results: Based on newly conducted fieldwork, we increase the number of recorded heterobranch sea slug species in Bocas del Toro to 82. Descriptive information for each species is provided, including taxonomic and/or ecological notes for most taxa. The collecting effort is also described and compared with that of other field expeditions in the Caribbean and the tropical Eastern Pacific. Conclusions: This increase in known diversity strongly suggests that the distribution of species within the Caribbean is still poorly known and species ranges may need to be modified as more surveys are conducted.

Sea slugs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from two remote reefs of the Southern Gulf of Mexico: Cayo Arenas and Cayo Arcas

“…Distribution: Amphiatlantic. Western Atlantic: Brazil, Mexico (GM), Puerto Rico, USA, Venezuela (Almada et al, 2016;Caballer-Gutiérrez et al, 2015;Valdés et al, 2006 Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (Caballer-Gutiérrez et al, 2015;Goodheart et al, 2016;Valdés et al, 2006).…”

“…Sites ranged from 5.3 to 7.7 m depth at Cayo Arcas and 6.8 to 22 m at Cayo Arenas. Specimens were obtained using direct manual collecting on suitable habitats, as well as extraction of potential substrate such as algae and sponge (indirect method) (Caballer-Gutiérrez et al, 2015;Camacho-García et al, 2014;Goodheart et al, 2016). Collected substrate was split onto white trays with fresh seawater and examined after 4-6 hours looking for animals that ascend to the water surface or to the walls of the trays.…”

“…Distribution: Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico (GM, CAR), Panama, St. Christopher, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, USA, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (Caballer-Gutiérrez et al, 2015;Goodheart et al, 2016;Valdés et al, 2006 2J) Material: ARE03, 1 specimen, 8 mm (CMPY-000625). Distribution: Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Mexico (GM), Panama, USA, Virgin Islands (Goodheart et al, 2016;Sanvicente-Añorve et al, 2012;Valdés et al, 2006).…”

Revision of Platydoris angustipes and description of a new species of Platydoris (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) from southeastern Brazil based on comparative morphology

“…United States of America (Florida and Virgin Islands) (Marcus and Marcus 1967;Marcus and Marcus 1970); Cuba (Guanahacabibes Peninsula) (Espinosa et al 2012); Cayman Islands (Hess et al 1994); Panama (Bocas del Toro) (Goodheart et al 2016 Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, derived from the native Guarani indigenous people, some tribes of which still reside in Rio de Janeiro.…”

Unexpected molecular and morphological diversity of hemichordate larvae from the Neotropics

“…Groups that are particularly understudied include most of the smaller marine invertebrate phyla, with tropical regions usually less studied than temperate areas. In many cases, rapid surveys of adult habitats by experts can result in numerous new records of species for a region, as well as new species or even genera of tropical marine invertebrates (e.g., Diaz, ; Goodheart et al, ; Miglietta et al, ; Rocha, Faria, & Moreno, ). Although surveys of adults are typically used for documenting local diversity, they may be of limited use for taxa that are particularly difficult to collect, or which occur at depths not easily reached by SCUBA diving.…”