Check List 8(4): 703–708, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution Checklist of benthonic marine invertebrates from Malaga PECIES S OF Diego Lozano-Cortés 1*, Edgardo Londoño-Cruz 1,2, Vanessa Izquierdo 1, Fatnori Arias 2, Madeleine ISTS 2 1 L BayBarona (Isla and Valentina Palma Zambrano and Los Negritos), Colombian Pacific 1 25360,Universidad Cali, Colombia.del Valle, Department of Biology, Coral Reef Ecology Research Group. Calle 13 No. 100 – 00. A.A. 25360, Cali, Colombia. * 2 CorrUniversidadesponding del author. Valle, Department Email: [email protected] of Biology, ECOMANGLARES, Estuarine and Mangroves Ecology Research Group, Calle 13 No. 100 – 00. A.A. Abstract: The composition of marine macroinvertebrates in two localities (Isla Palma and Los Negritos) of Malaga Bay Thewas studied.most common This bay groups is located were: in Gastropoda the Pacific coast(27%), of PolychaetaColombia and (26%), was recentlyMalacostraca declared (16%) National and Pelecypoda Natural Park. (13%). The rapidEven thoughecological the assessment two sites are revealed relatively a total near, of being 128 species apart only belonging by 6 km, to 64the families composition and 11 of classes the respective (including communities threatened wasspecies). very different. They shared only 7.8% of the species found; which might have profound and interesting effects for conservation purposes. Introduction echinoderms and crustaceans are, at best, incomplete. A checklist of regional marine species has many uses. Additionally, it has been suggested that the number of Further to providing base line information and important species recorded for these groups represent only 50% of data for comparative studies on biodiversity it also plays an the total richness expected for Colombia (Díaz and Acero important role and is an important tool in the recognition 2003). and delimitation of areas with need protecting, in the Considering the incomplete knowledge of the animal process to infer damage and impacts of anthropogenic biodiversity associated to the intertidal and shallow subtidal activity, in the assessment of the complexity of biological marine ecosystems, the aim of this survey was to produce communities, and in the estimation of resource availability a preliminary checklist of marine macroinvertebrates inhabiting two localities of Malaga Bay (Isla Palma and It is known that comprehensive evaluations and Los Negritos). Mollusks and crustaceans were sampled as inventories(Hendrickx andserve Harvey as the1999). basis for local practices of well although they are the most common animals in the conservation, which is relevant in poorly known areas in intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats. Special attention was put on poorly known taxonomic groups in order to of Malaga Bay (recently established as a National Natural improve the base line knowledge on the biodiversity in the Park),the tropics where (Hendrickx the few surveys and Harvey that 1999).have been This carried is the case out region and to provide useful information to policy makers in the area have shown a rich diversity of intertidal and in order to facilitate decisions regarding the protection shallow subtidal marine organisms (Lazarus-Agudelo and and conservation of Malaga Bay. Cantera-Kintz 2007). Furthermore, the majority of studies Materials and Methods Study area Canteraperformed et onal Malaga Bay have been focused on specific Malaga Bay is located in the middle of the Colombian 2005;taxonomic Lozano-Cortés groups, like molluskset al (Blanco and Cantera 1994; °08’ N; Galindo et al.,. 2006),1998), andechinoderms crustaceans (Neira (Lazarus-Agudelo and Cantera °35’ W; Figure 1). This area experiences a broad and Cantera-Kintz 2007). In .order 2011), to havefishes an (Castellanos-integral view coasttidal rangeon the ( caTropical Eastern Pacific (3.93 – 4 of the real biodiversity in the zone, the community as a 77.32are determined – 77 by the occurrence of the intertropical whole should be considered. convergence zone. 4 andm) theand Equatorial the weather low characteristicspressure area Although several areas with high species richness in the (Cantera et al world have recently received a lot of attention regarding The two sampling localities Isla Palma and Los Negritos, species censuses, tropical and subtropical marine are located at .the 1998; outer Amaya part of2007). the Bay. Isla Palma (3°53’ N invertebrate communities are still greatly undescribed. It - 77°21’ W; Figure 1) is a small island (ca. 138 ha) located is important to note that most of the effort has been put surrounded by rocky cliffs with heights between 6 m and 15 m. Los Negritos less than 4 km off the coast and is isan intertidal rocky reef However,on west Indopacific, the knowledge Tropical regarding Atlantic Colombian (TA) and Tropicalmarine located southwest (ca. 6 km away) from the coast of Isla biodiversity,Eastern Pacific which (TEP) has coast(Hendrickx in both TAand and Harvey TEP is 1999).scarce Palma(3°53’ andN - 77°24’is formed W; byFigure volcanic 1) rocks in contrast to other and checklists of some groups like worms, bryozoans, rocky areas of Malaga Bay (e.g. Isla Palma itself) which are 703 Lozano-Cortés et al. | Benthonic marine invertebrates from Malaga Bay, Colombia formed mainly by sedimentary rocks (Lozano-Cortés et al. all species were preserved in 70% alcohol and stored in 2011). del Valle (CRBMUV for its name in Spanish). Data collection and identification the Reference Collection of Marine Biology – Universidad At each site, samples were collected by intensive Results and Discussion scrutiny of animals hidden in cracks and under stones, A total of 128 species of marine invertebrates both in the subtidal and shallow subtidal, where the sampling was performed using SCUBA and snorkeling. faunal composition was distributed in 10 groups, with At Isla Palma, the submerged walls of the cliffs were belonging to 64 families were collected (Table 1). The also sampled and some boulders were extracted to look Only 7.8% (10 species) was shared between the two for infauna (e.g. polychaets, mytilid bivalves and alpheid places.64.1% Withinfound inthe Isla species Palma found, and the40.6% presence in Los of 3Negritos. species shrimps). At Los Negritos rocky reef, samplings were also considered threatened on Malaga Bay were relevant (2 conducted during low tide, when the rocks were exposed cnidarians; Leptogorgia alba, Pacifigorgia symbiotica and (intertidal sampling). The maximum depth, at which 1 mollusc; Pinctada mazatlanica, Castellanos-Galindo et al. samplings were performed, was 6 m for Isla Palma and 12 2011). Gastropods and Polychaetes were the groups with m for Los Negritos. The samples were kept in seawater until sorting by latter group was composed of species belonging mostly taxonomic groups was performed. The animals were tothe endofauna highest richness and hence (34 was and only 33 species,collected Figure at Isla 2); Palma the anesthetized by gradually adding fresh water and (Figure 3), a result that is related to the type of substrate magnesium chloride to the seawater. After that, samples in the locality. In the class Pelecypoda (16 species), the family Mytilidae was the most representative with 5 species, all were takenfixed in in 10% order formalin to have ora record 70% alcohol, of natural depending coloration, on of which were collected at Isla Palma. The higher species sincethe group. most Photographs animals (e.g. of nudibranches)most live or recently lose fixedit when animals they number in this site is explained in terms of their substrate composition: a considerable number of boulders and some transported to the Universidad del Valle marine laboratory of these rocks, which serve as a habitat for infauna, were become in contact with fixatives. Once fixed, samples were removed and sampled. The comparison of the study to to the lowest possible taxonomic level following Prahl et al. previous ones (Guevara-Fletcher 2006, Invemar et al. 2006, for identification and storage. Organisms were identified Guevara-Fletcher et al. 2011) reveals that there are seven species as new records for Isla Palma (Barbatia reeveana, (1986), Breedy and Guzmán (2003, 2007) for octocorals,et al. Trigoniocardia biangulata, Papyridea aspersa, Lithophaga Keen (1972) for mollusks, Poupin and Bouchard (2006), plumula, L. attenuata, L. spatiosa, and Gregariella coarctata) guideHendrickx (Fischer (1995), et al Martin and Davis (2001) and Ng (2008) for crabs, Brusca (1980), Cantera (2011) and FAO . 1995) for other invertebrates. Finally, Figure 2. Total number of species by group for benthic marine invertebrates collected in two localities of Malaga Bay. Figure 1. Figure 3. Species richness of principal marine invertebrates groups on Giraldo 2008). Study sites (Isla Palma – IP and Los Negritos – LN) in Malaga Isla Palma (black bars) and Los Negritos (gray bars). Bay, Colombian Pacific Ocean (Modified from Castellanos-Galindo and 704 Lozano-Cortés et al. | Benthonic marine invertebrates from Malaga Bay, Colombia and six for Los Negritos (B. reeveana, T. biangulata, Cardita classes and 8 families. The most representative class was affinis, Periglypta multicostata, Gastrochaena ovata and Ophiuroidea with 6 species. This result contrasts with Pholadidea tubifera). some areas where this class had the lowest richness (e.g. Malacostraca was the third group in number of species Malpelo Island; Cohen-Rengifo et al with a total of 21, belonging to eight families. The site with this could be explained because this class is the most the highest diversity was Isla Palma with 76.2 % of the diverse group of living echinoderms. 2009). (Giese Nevertheless, et al species collected from this class (Figure 3); this diversity and numerically are the most abundant group in the could be associated with a higher number of microhabitats . 1991) that can be seen in this area due to the sedimentary origin reported in this work were found in Los Negritos; only 5 of the rocks. However, the number of species collected ofColombian them were Pacific found (Neira in Isla and Palma, Cantera possibly 2005).