On Branchiostoma californiense (Cephalochordata)from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Costa Rica

Abstract

Abstract:The cephalochordates are represented by the lancelets, of which species of the genus Branchiostoma are the best known. In recent years, these organisms have been the center of activity of studies focusing on the phylogenetic relationships of the chordates. In 1980, a survey of the benthos at 48 stations in the Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific coast of Costa Rica, yielded 265 specimens of the lancelet Branchiostoma californiense. A total of 48 specimens was also collected at an intertidal flat in the mid upper estuary. Of the 48 subtidal stations, only eight had B. californiense, and these sites all had a sand fraction above 72%. The remaining stations ranged in their sand content from as low as 1% to as high as 92%, with an average of 25.9%, with 29 stations having a sand content lower than 72%. Lower salinities and muddy sediments may limit the distribution of the lancelet further upstream. This information is useful when changes over decades in the ecology of the estuary need to be evaluated against the background of local, regional, and global dynamics. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (4): 1143-1148. Epub 2010 December 01.

First Record of Amphioxus Branchiostoma californiense (Amphioxiformes: Branchiostomatidae) Adjacent to a Shallow Submarine Hydrothermal System at Banderas Bay (Mexico)

“…The specimens of Del Moral-Flores, et al [1] were collected on the coasts of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, and Oaxaca, all of which belong to the Mexican Pacific. This is consistent with our findings and also with the reported wide distribution of the species along the eastern Pacific, from Monterrey Bay, USA to Chame Point, Panama [3,20]. It should be noted that the B. elongatum, found along the Humboldt current [21], can be clearly differentiated from B. californiense by the myotomes formula.…”

Seagrass Halodule wrightii as a new habitat for the amphioxus Branchiostoma californiense (Cephalochordata, Branchiostomidae) in the southern Gulf of California, Mexico

“…Amphioxi usually prefer coarse sand with fairly fast water flow, although they can also be found in silty sediments (Berrill 1987, Nishikawa et al 1997, Chen 2007). Most species have benthic habits, and the adults live burrowed in the sand, gravel, or shell deposits (Vargas and Dean 2010, Desdevises et al 2011). Branchiostoma californiense is most commonly found in sandy flat bottoms (Vargas and Dean 2010, Galván-Villa et al 2017).…”

“…Amphioxi are marine organisms inhabiting shallow waters near the coast, such as estuaries, coastal lagoons, open coasts, and even river deltas, in temperate and tropical waters (Laudien et al 2007, Meerhoff et al 2016). They are benthic, obligate filter feeders that play a key role in the transfer of microbial and phytoplanktonic production to higher trophic levels, including fishes (Ruppert et al 2000, Vargas and Dean 2010). Branchiostoma californiense Andrews, 1893, is the only species reported for the eastern Pacific coast in Central and North America (Vargas 1987, Poss and Boschung 1996, Vargas and Dean 2010).…”

“…They are benthic, obligate filter feeders that play a key role in the transfer of microbial and phytoplanktonic production to higher trophic levels, including fishes (Ruppert et al 2000, Vargas and Dean 2010). Branchiostoma californiense Andrews, 1893, is the only species reported for the eastern Pacific coast in Central and North America (Vargas 1987, Poss and Boschung 1996, Vargas and Dean 2010). In Mexico, it is distributed from the northwestern coast of the Baja California Peninsula to the coast of Oaxaca, including the Gulf of California; some records from Central America have also been reported (Poss and Boschung 1996, Vargas and Dean 2010, Del Moral-Flores et al 2016).…”

“…Branchiostoma californiense Andrews, 1893, is the only species reported for the eastern Pacific coast in Central and North America (Vargas 1987, Poss and Boschung 1996, Vargas and Dean 2010). In Mexico, it is distributed from the northwestern coast of the Baja California Peninsula to the coast of Oaxaca, including the Gulf of California; some records from Central America have also been reported (Poss and Boschung 1996, Vargas and Dean 2010, Del Moral-Flores et al 2016). Two recent studies describe the occurrence and taxonomy of B. californiense in Mexico based on preserved specimens.…”