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Ostracoda of Moss Town Blue Hole, Great Exuma Island, Great Bahama Bank (Crustacea: Ostracoda: Myodocopa)

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Ostracoda of Moss Town Blue Hole, Great Exuma Island, Great Bahama Bank (Crustacea: Ostracoda: Myodocopa) PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 121(2):237–268. 2008. Ostracoda of Moss Town Blue Hole, Great Exuma Island, Great Bahama Bank (Crustacea: Ostracoda: Myodocopa) Louis S. Kornicker*, Thomas M. Iliffe, and Elizabeth Harrison-Nelson (LSK & EHN) MRC 163, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20013-7012, U.S.A.; (TMI) Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, 77553-1675, U.S.A. Abstract.—Eight species of myodocopid Ostracoda (six Myodocopina, one Halocypridina, and one Cladocopina) are reported from 30 to 60 m depths in Moss Town Blue Hole, an ocean blue hole located in a bay on the west side of Great Exuma Island, Exuma Cays, Great Bahama Bank. The collection from Moss Town Blue Hole contained no new species, but five species had not been reported previously from the blue holes of Great Exuma Island, and three species had not been reported previously from the blue holes of the Exuma Cays. The collection provided the opportunity to describe the adult male and female, as well as early instars, of Eusarsiella fax and Metapolycope duplex, and the adult female of Eusarsiella merx,and also, to compare the ostracode populations in the various niches in the Exumas. Eight species of myodocopid Ostracoda collection, Deeveya medix Kornicker, (six Myodocopina, one Halocypridina, 1990, had previously been collected only and one Cladocopina) are reported from in inland blue holes in the Bahamas. It is 30 to 60 m depths in Moss Town Blue the second species of the genus to be Hole, an ocean blue hole located in a bay reported from both inland and ocean blue on the west coast of Great Exuma Island, holes in the Bahamas. The only species of Exuma Cays, Great Bahama Bank Cladocopina in the collection, Metapoly- (Fig. 1). Two of the species of Myodoco- cope duplex Kornicker & Iliffe, 1989, had pina, Skogsbergia lerneri (Kornicker, been collected previously only in inland 1958), and Harbansus paucichelatus (Kor- anchialine caves in Bermuda. It is the nicker, 1958) had been reported previous- second benthic myodocopid reported ly from both Bahamian ocean blue holes from both the Bahamas and Bermuda, and the Bahama platform, and one and the first Cladocopina. Early instars of species of Myodocopina Asteropteron M. duplex have valves with fewer ante- chelisparsa (Kornicker, 1958) had been roventral serrations than later instars. reported previously from the Bahama The adult male and female of Eusarsiella platform. Two species of Myodocopina, fax and the adult female of E. merx are Eusarsiella merx Kornicker et al., 2002, described for the first time herein. Also and E. fax Kornicker et al., 2007, had described are early instars of E. fax. been reported previously from other Station data with specimens collected.— ocean blue holes in the Bahamas. The Sta 03-012, 14 Jan 2003, Moss Town Blue only species of Halocypridina in the Hole, Great Exuma Island, Exuma Cays, Bahamas; collected with suction bottle, * Corresponding author. plankton net, and vials (from 30–45 m 238 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Fig. 1. Distribution of inland and ocean blue holes in the vicinity of the Exuma Cays and Great Exuma Island. depths for the plankton tow and 60 m mens; Cylindroleberidinae gen. indet., 1 depth for suction bottle and vials); juvenile. maximum depth reached in the cave was Previous work in vicinity of Great 60 m. Specimens: Asteropteron chelis- Exuma Island.—Moss Town Blue Hole parsa, 3 juveniles; Deeveya medix, 1 adult lies in a shallow bay at Moss Town on the male; Eusarsiella fax, 11 specimens; Eu- west side of Great Exuma Island, located sarsiella merx, 1 adult male, 1 adult on the Great Bahama Bank close to the female, 6 instar I; Harbansus paucichela- southwestern end of Exuma Sound. The tus, 2 specimens; Metapolycope duplex,25 ostracodes collected in two additional specimens; Skogsbergia lerneri, 7 speci- ocean blue holes off Great Exuma Island VOLUME 121, NUMBER 2 239 have been described: Master Harbor Blue located in or with direct connection to the Hole from the east side of the island sea, have strong tidal currents and gener- (Kornicker et al. 2002), and The Subway ally contain organisms also living in the on the west coast (Kornicker et al. 2007). open waters. Some ocean blue holes have Several cays are located off the eastern been found by cave divers to connect to side of Great Exuma Island. The ostra- inland caves, suggesting an environmental codes collected in ocean blue holes in the and ecological continuum between those vicinity of three of the cays have been two habitat types. described: 1) three blue holes off Stocking In the Bahamas, long, narrow islands Island (Mystery Cave, Angelfish Blue such as Great Exuma are located along Hole, and Bottomly’s Blue Hole); 2) one the margins of large, shallow water blue hole off Crab Cay (Crab Cay platforms called banks. As such, one side Crevasse), and 3) one blue hole off Sugar of the island faces the shallow bank, while Cay (Sugar Cay Blue Hole) (see Kor- the opposite side borders deep waters of nicker et al. 2007, table 3). Ostracodes oceanic depths. Tides are delayed on the were also reported from a ledge at 8 m bank side such that sea levels across the depth just outside the cave entrance of island are consistently out of phase with Angelfish Blue Hole, which is located on each other. Ocean blue holes thus serve as the southwest side of Stocking Island tidal conduits with reversing water cur- (Kornicker & Iliffe 2000:12). rents. The walls in such caves are covered The ostracodes collected in one inland with sponges, hydroids and other encrust- anchialine cave in Great Exuma Island ing marine life, and cave water masses (Basil Minn’s Blue Hole) and two inland exchange with the sea each tidal cycle. anchialine caves in two cays making up Walls of inland caves are bare in contrast the string of islands extending northwest and may be hydrological dead ends, with from Great Exuma and known as the water remaining within the cave for at Exuma Cays: 1) Great Guana Cay (Oven least months to years. Rock Cave), and 2) Norman’s Pond Cay Moss Town Blue Hole (23u31.969N, (Norman’s Pond Cave) have been 75u50.909W) is situated at the south side described (see Kornicker et al. 2007, of an inland bay connected to the bank table 3). side of Great Exuma Island by tidal The Great Bahama Bank is dissected creeks (Fig. 1). The entrance consists of by several steep-sided submarine canyons a circular submerged sinkhole with a which reach oceanic depths, including steep rubble slope extending down from Exuma Sound. The upper rim of the the surface to 60 m depths where a low southwestern edge of Exuma Sound off but level passageway begins. This passage Lee Stocking Island, Exuma Cays, is a was only explored for a short distance due steep escarpment that bears notches, to the depth, but appears to continue ledges, and rock overhangs. Myodocopid for some distance. Significant tidal flow ostracodes collected on the escarpment moves through the cave, as evidenced by off Lee Stocking Island and Georgetown, the coarse gravel floor at depth and Great Exuma Island, at depths of 62– abundant filter-feeding marine growth. 240 m have been reported by Kornicker Dives were conducted in the cave at slack & Iliffe 2000. tide, and samples taken by stirring or Discussion.—Anchialine inland caves scooping up bottom sediments and filter- generally are remotely connected to the ing water through a 93 mmmeshplank- sea, have minimal water currents and ton net or by collecting observed animals contain organisms usually restricted to directly in individual vials. Several other caves. In contrast, ocean blue holes are deep blue holes in the vicinity of Moss 240 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Town also reach depths approaching Poulsen 1962); Roman numerals identify 60 m and have significant tidal currents endites; Arabic numbers generally identi- moving through them, suggesting the fy article numbers; unlabeled arrows existence of a complex of deep cave either point to anterior of animal, or passages in this area. Unfortunately, these draw attention to a feature; stippling in other sites have not yet been biologically internal shafts generally indicates scler- sampled. ites; dashed internal shafts indicate mus- The anchialine inland caves in the cles; stippling in eyes and upper lip Bahamas contain ostracodes in the sub- indicate color. The following abbrevia- orders Halocypridina and Cladocopina, tions are used in figures and legends: am, but none from the suborder Myodoco- adductor muscle; ap, anterior process; av, pina have been reported. anterior view; bas, basis; BO, Bellonci The only anchialine inland caves (three Organ; cox, coxa; end, endopod; ep, grietas) known to contain both an anchia- epipod; esoph, esophagus; ex, exopod; line halocyprid ostracode and a species of gen, genitalia; iv, inside view; le, lateral Myodocopina are in Santa Cruz Island, eye; lft, left; lv, lateral view; me, medial Galapagos Islands (Kornicker & Iliffe eye; mnd, mandible; mo, mouth; mv, 1989). The species of Myodocopina there medial view; mx, maxilla; nabs, not all has unusually small eyes suggesting that it bristles shown; ov, outside view; precox, may be a stygobiont. precoxa; prot, protopod; rt, right; ul, Some of the species of Myodocopina upper lip; Y-scl, Y-sclerite. in ocean blue holes in the Bahamas are also present in the open sea on the Subclass Myodocopa Sars Great Bahama Bank. However, several Order Halocyprida Dana new species have been described from Suborder Halocypridina Dana the ocean blue holes.
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