Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 54 (2): 220-230—1984
Decapod crustaceans inhabiting live and dead colonies
of three species of Acropora in the Roques Archipelago, Venezuela
by
P. Alejandro Grajal & G. Roger Laughlin
Fundación Cientifica Los Roques, Apartado No. 1, Carmelitas, Caracas 1010 A, Venezuela
Summary INTRODUCTION
A systematic account is given of the decapod crustaceans
In recent the of crusta- found in live and dead colonies of three species of the years study decapod
associated coral received scleractinian coral Acropora (A. cervicornis, A. palmata, A. ceans to species has
collected 9 month in shallow prolifera) , during a period a much attention from marine biogeographers reef flat in the southwestern portion of the Archipelago Los and ecologists. However, because most of the Roques, Venezuela. research has been conducted in the Indo-Paciflc of A total 1900 individuals belonging to 30 species were 1966; Knudsen, 1967; Garth, 1974; found. Some qualitative observations on the ecology, (Patton, feeding, and reproduction of some decapod species are Abele, 1976; Castro, 1976; Glynn, 1980; Abele given. & Patton, 1967; Prahl et al., 1978; Bak &
Most of the collected found in the dead species were por- Edwards Robertson, 1980; & Emberton, 1980; tions of the colonies. The crab Domecia acanthophora seems Austin et al., 1980) and in the subtropical to be the only true commensal that depends on the live Atlantic Reed coral tissue. (McCloskey, 1970; et al., 1982),
The carideans Latreutes and the there is little information the fucorum Alpheus simus, on occurrence, anomuran the Portunus Pagurus brevidactylus , brachyurans distribution and geographic range of Caribbean vocans and Tetraxanthus bidentatus are reported for the first coral-inhabiting decapods. Patton's (1967) time in Venezuela. work Puerto Rico conducted in was exclusively
coral Domecia Resumen on a single associated species,
acanthophora, whereas Garth's (1978) and En sistemáticos este trabajo se presentan aspectos y Velez's research involved extensive reef de las de crustáceos (1977) biológicos especies decápodos encon- collections without intensive tradas vivas de colonias de sampling on en partes y muertas tres
del coral A. A. coral especies Acropora (A. cervicornis, palmatay pro- specific species.
lifera). Estas colonias se colectaron durante de 9 un período The first of series the present paper, a a on meses en un arrecife coralino somero ubicado al extremo ecology of decapod crustaceans inhabiting sur-oeste del Archipiélago de Los Roques, Venezuela. corals in the Los Ro- Se total de 1900 individuos acroporid Archipelago capturaron un pertene- ques, Venezuela, a account cientes a 30 especies. Se dan observaciones sobre la provides systematic
alimentación de de ellas. and other relevant information the ecología, y reproducción algunas on decapod
Una de las encontró gran parte especies registradas se species found in three species of the coral en la parte muerta de las colonias. Solamente el cangrejo Acropora. Domecia verdadero comensal acanthophora parece ser un que depende del tejido vivo del coral.
Los carideos simus el Latreutes fucorum y Alpheus anomurido los Portunus GEOGRAPHIC SETTING AND STUDY Pagurus brevidactylus y branquiuros
los vocans y Tetraxanthus bidentatus son primeros registros AREA
Venezuela. para
The Los is reef Archipelago Roques an insular
* located at about 150 km north of the Scientific contribution No. 12 of the Fundación complex
Cientîfica Los Roques. north central coast of Venezuela (fig. 1).
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The los Fig. 1. Archipiélago de Roques (top) with location of general study area and sampling site (bottom).
it forms oval of 36.6 km Roughly, an irregular around a shallow lagoon (depth 1-5 m) in its
km X 24.6 on the east-west and north-south centro-meridionalportion. axis, It is formed and The respectively. by 42 islands Archipelago, or more precisely the
than 200 sandbanks and reefs distributed submarine more semiatoll, rests on a igneous plateau
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from 900 1800 measurements were made with a that rises sharply depths of to m. Morphometric
calibrated vernier and an ocular micrometer mounted in a The winds and oceanic currents are Wild M8 stereomicroscope. predominantly from the east-northeast. The In Anomura and width Brachyura, carapace (C.W.) climate in the islands could be classified arid- as measured in that and length (C.L.) were and presented
humid with annual of while in Natantia an average precipitation order, only carapace length was
measured. 300 mm.
The symbol 9 ov. refers to ovigerous females, and 9 to The study was conducted on a reef flat at the refers non-ovigerous ones. The abbreviation "juv." to leeward side of a horseshoe-shaped barrier reef juveniles. that connects Dos Mosquises Norte and Dos
Mosquises Sur, two nearby keys located at the
extreme southwestern corner of the archipelago RESULTS
(fig. 1). The reef flat, with a depth of 0.7 to 1.2
m, has an extensive coral cover of Acropora, viz. Before presenting the systematic account of the A. palmata (Lamarck, 1816), A. prolifera (La- decapod crustaceans found in coral colonies of marck, and A. cervicornis 1816), (Lamarck, it is Acropora spp. , important to mentionthat the the corals Porites 1816), although spp., Agaricia plastic bag-enclosing method did not provide and Montastrea annularis spp., (Ellis & Solander, accurate information of the location on the col- 1786), the octocorals Plexaura and Gorgonia spp. of the collected. ony specimens and the spp., hydrozoan Millepora complanata However, the vast majority of them were
Lamarck, are also common. Water 1816, observed the on dead portions of the colonies.
measured at the dock of the temperatures In fact, a statistical correlation made between
Marine Station at Dos less than 1 Mosquises, live coral and the the percent (%) weight of km away from the study site, varied from 25°C number of individuals of the four most in winter (November-February) to 31°C in numerous species found (Domecia acanthophora, from 38.4 summer. Salinity ranged to 39.3°/oo. Mythrax sculptus, Microphris bicornutus, and Thor
manningi), showed significant negative relation-
for 3 of the A MATERIAL AND METHODS ships species (table I). positive
correlation was found only for D. acanthophora.
Sampling was conducted from January to November,
1981, and involved the in situ removal of 30 colonies of A of 1900 30 is each The cumulative of number of list individuals from species Acropora species. curve
in the decapod species versus number of removed colonies for reported following systematic account:
each coral species indicated that 30 colonies was more than
enough to collect most decapod species; the in asymptote Suborder NATANTIA
the curve was reached at 14 colonies in A. palmata, 26 in A. Section CARIDEA prolifera, and 19 in.A. cervicornis. The selected colonies were Family PALAEMONIDAE of a size which permitted handling and transportation. Genus Periclimenes Costa, 1844 Each colony was covered by a highly resistent polyethylene
the of the broken off its bag to prevent escape fauna, at
base with hammer and and a a chisel, immediately Periclimenes americanus (Kingsley, 1878) transported to the Marine Laboratory where the colony
Refs.: 1951: 19 1965 broken the fauna. Holthuis, 60, pl. figs, a-e; Williams, wascompletely up to remove crustacean 43, fig. 36; Rodriguez, 1980: 90 fig. 27. The live portion of the coral was weighed separately
from the dead portion, thus permitting the estimation of
Material: 4 19,29 ov., 1 juv. in A. prolifera; 3o\ 59 live coral weight for each colony. Field observations on O",
9 in A. cervicornis. location, feeding and reproduction of conspicuous crusta- ov., juv.
ceans were recorded on a submersible note board.
Specimens were preserved in a 7% formalin-seawater 2.1 5.9 Size: mm juv. to mm O" C.L. solution with few drops of glycerin, identified,catalogued, Range: Bahamas, North Carolina to Florida, transferred to an alcohol solution and stored in the West Indies. Museum of the Fundación Cientîfica Los Roques at found Caracas, Venezuela. Remarks: This tiny shrimp can be com-
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TABLE I
Pearson correlation coefficients between percent (%) weight of the live coral
colony and number of individuals for the four most numerous species found in
colonies of collected from 1981. Acropora spp., January through November,
CORAL SPECIES
A. cervicornis A. prolifera A. palmata
DECAPOD SPECIES
Mythrax sculptus r= -0.33 r= -0.42 (*)
(n = 443) (1) (« =96) (2)
Microphris bicornutus r= -0.37 C) C)
(" = 80) (1)
Thor manningi O r= -0.48 (*)
(« = 153) (2)
Domecia acanthophora r= 0.79 r= 0.56 (*)
("=159) (3) (n = 487) (3)
(1) =/><0.09 (2) = p<0.01 (3) =/>< 0.005
(*) = The number of individuals was too low for statistical analysis.
in shallow in monly waters coral, algae, and Refs.: Holthuis, 1951: 107, pl. 32 figs, d-g, pi. 33;
1980: rocks. Seen on dead portions of the coral. Rodriguez, 93, fig. 28.
Material: Ice in A. prolifera.
Periclimenes iridescens Lebour, 1949
Size: 1.6 mm C.L. Ref.: Holthuis, 1951: 43, pl. 12, pl. 20 figs, i-j
Range: Dry Tortugas, Bermuda, Bahamas, Material: in 2 O* ; 3 9 ov. A. cervicornis. Los Roques; found inside Callyspongia and other
in shallow sponges water. 1.7 Size: mm o* to 2.6 mm 9 ov. C.L.
Range: Bermuda, Cubagua island, Venezuela; Genus Brachycarpus Bate, 1888 in sand and 100 algae to m.
Periclimenes rathbunae Schmitt, 1924 Brachycarpus biunguiculatus (Lucas, 1846)
Ref.: Holthuis, 1951: 58, pl. 17 Refs.: Holthuis, 1951: 3, pl. 1; Rodriguez, 1980: 96, fig
30. Material: 1 juv. in A. cervicornis.
Material: 2 9 ov. in A. prolifera.
Size: 2.9 mm C.L.
Lesser Antilles Range: Size: 7.1 and 7.3 mm C.L.
Remarks: This species has been as a reported Range: Pantropical. commensal of of sea anemones, specially Remarks: It has been nocturnal reported as a Stoichactis helianthus (Ellis, 1767), commonly cleaner (Criales & Corredor, 1977). Both found the dead of on portions Acropora. found in small in specimens were a cavity a
dead basal portion of A. prolifera. Genus Periclimaneus Borradaile, 1915
Periclimaneus bermudensis (Armstrong, Family ALPHEIDAE
1940) Genus Alpheus Fabricius, 1798
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Alpheus cristulifrons Rathbun, 1900 Range: Florida to Surinam, in shallow water,
mangroves and sand. Refs.: Crosnier & Forest, 1966: 260, figs. 17-18; Remarks: Found inside small crevices in dead Rodriguez, 1980: 143, fig. 40 1-m. basal portions of the colony. in Material: 12c, 23 Ç ov., 1 juv. A. prolifera;; 40-, 59
in A. 2 o1 2 in A. ov., 2 juv. cervicornis; , 9 ov. palmata. Synalpheus curacaoensis Schmitt, 1924
Size: From 2.2 mm juv. to 12.3 mm 9 ov. Ref.: Schmitt, 1924: 66, fig. 3.
C.L. Material: lo", 1 Ç ov., 1 juv. in A. prolifera. Range: Tropical Atlantic, Los Roques; in
shallow water in coral, Halimeda, and sponges. Size: 1.7 mm juv. to 4.5 mm $ ov. C.L. in Remarks: Most specimens were found Range: Curaçao, Bonaire; in shallow water, heterosexual pairs inhabiting small cavities of under rocks and pieces of coral, and in the the dead portion of Acropora. In all pairs, the zoanthid Zoanthus sociatus (Ellis, 1767).
male was smaller than the female. (C.L.) Remarks: Found inside small crevices in dead
basal portions of the colonies. Alpheus ridleyi Pocock, 1890
fritzmuelleri 1909 Refs.: Crosnier & Forest, 1966: 230; Rodriguez, 1980: Synalpheus Coutière,
149, fig. 42 d-f. Refs.: Williams, 1965: 69, fig. 56; Rodriguez, 1980: 153
Material: 1 O", 19 ov. in A. cervicornis. Material: 5 O", 19, 4 Ç ov. in A. prolifera;. 7cr, 19, 39
ov. in A. cervicornis; lo-, 19 in A. palmata.
Size: 10.8 mm O* and 22.3 mm Ç ov. C.L.
Range: Bahamas to Fernando Norhona, Brazil; Size: 1.8 mm O" to 5.7 mm c? C.L in shallow water in rocks and pieces of coral. Range: North Carolina and Bermuda, to Santa Remarks: Both specimens were found in- Catarina, Brazil; Baja California; to 50 m in
the at the basal dead habiting same cavity por- and coral rubble. mangroves tion of the colony. Remarks: Found inside small crevices in dead
portions of the colonies. Alpheus simus Guérin-Méneville, 1856
Coutière, 1909 Ref.: Guérin-Méneville, 1856: xix, pl. 2 fig. 11 Synalpheus pandionis
Refs.: Coutière, 1909: 67, fig. 39; Rodriguez, 1980: 161 Material: lCf, 1 Ç in A. prolifera.
Material: 1 O" in A. prolifera. Size 6.0 and mm Cf 3.7 mm Q C.L.
Cuba, Curaçao, Los Range: Roques. Size: 4.6 mm C.L.
Remarks: This senior enigmatic species, Range: Gulfof Mexico to Barbados; to 60 m, in
is synonym of Crangon rathbunae, a new report sand, coral rubble and rocks. for Both found in- Venezuela. specimens were Remarks: Found inside small crevices in the
side of a small crevice at the dead basal portion dead basal portion of the colony.
the and of color colony, both were a clean white
when collected. Family HIPPOLITIDAE
Genus Thor Kingsley, 1878 Genus Synalpheus Bate, 1888 Thor cf. manningi Chace, 1972 Synalpheus apioceros Coutière, 1909 Ref.: Chace, 1972: 13, figs. 59-61
Refs.: Williams, 1965: 69, fig. 56; Rodriguez, 1980: 155 Material: 67 er, 33 9, 28$ ov., 25 juv., with 2 9
Material: 2 in A. unidentified in A. CT, 1 juv. prolifera. parasitized by an isopod prolifera; 2cr,
16 8 in A. 2 1 1 in 8Ç , 9 ov., juv. cervicornis; C 9 9 ov. , , 6.5 Size: 1.6 juv. to mm er C.L. A. palmata.
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in Petrolisthes Size: 1.1 mm juv. to 3.2 mm O" C.L. galathinus (Bosc, 1802)
Range: North Carolina to Curaçao, and Ref.: Gore & Abele, 1976: 702. 44 westward to Yucatan; to a depth of m.
Material: 90", 2 9,39 ov., 5 juv. in A. prolifera. Remarks: This polymorphic species is difficult
few of the males had to identify and only a a 8.6 Size: From 2.6 mm x 2.9 mm juv. to x prehensile dactylus in the third pereiopod, as 8.3 mm Ç ov. Chace (1972) remarks. This tiny shrimp was Range: Hatteras to South Brazil, in- branch Cape seen swimming from branch to of the cluding the Caribbean. Also known from the live of the colonies. corals, even on portions Pacific.
Remarks: Observed only on dead portions of Genus Latreutes Stimpson, 1860 the colonies.
Latreutes fucorum (Fabricius, 1798) Section PAGURIDEA
Ref.: Williams, 1965: 78, fig. 63 Family PAGURIDAE
1851 Material: 2 9 ov. in A. cervicornis. Genus Paguristes Dana,
cadenati 1954 Size: 3.6 mm and 3.2 mm C.L. Paguristes Forest,
Range: Western North Atlantic between 10° Refs.: Forest, 1954: 353-357, figs. 3-4; Provenzano, 1961: and 50° Azores and Verde N, Cape Islands; 325.
pelagic and sublittoral. Material: 1 O" , 1 9 , 4 Ç ov. in A. prolifera. Remarks: This is a new report for Venezuela.
Usually found in floating Sargassum and other Size: From 4.2 x 6.8 mm 9 to 12.5 x 8.5 mm seaweeds. o*.
Range: Florida, Guadeloupe, Curaçao; be- Section STENOPODIDEA
tween 5 and 15 m. Family STENOPODIDAE Remarks: Found on dead portions of the col-
onies. Genus Stenopus Latreille, 1819
Genus 1775 Stenopus scutellatus Rankin, 1898 Pagurus Fabricius,
Ref.: Rankin, 1898: 242, pl. 29 fig. 3. Pagurus brevidactylus (Stimpson, 1862) Material: 1 O" in A. prolifera.
Ref.: Provenzano, 1959: 413, fig. 20
Size: 15.0 mm C.L. Material: ler, 2 9 ov. in A. cervicornis; lo" in A. prolifera. Range: Bahamas and Gulf of Mexico, to Fer-
nando Brazil. Noronha, Size: cr From 1.8 x 3.5 mm to 4.5 x 2.8 mm
Remarks: This has been as a species reported or. nocturnal cleaner & Corredor, 1977) (Criales Range: North Carolina, southwestern Florida, often found in heterosexual Observed on pairs. West Indies to Barbados. the dead basal of portion the colony with an Remarks: A for new report Venezuela, found female that from the ovigerous escaped plastic on the dead portions of the colonies. bag.
Pagurus marshi Benedict, 1901 Suborder ANOMURA
Ref.: Provenzano, 1959: 405, 17. Section GALATHEIDEA fig.
Family PORCELANIDAE Material: 6 CT, 19, 5Q ov. in A. cervicornis; 2 Cr , 1 Ç, 1 Genus Petrolisthes Stimpson, 1858 juv. in A. prolifera.
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Size: From 7.6 8.0 1 for A. 1 1.1 1.2 x 2.8 mm juv. to x : 2.05 palmata, as compared to :
and : 0.97 for A. and A. mm C. 1 prolifera cervicornis,
be the Range: Florida, Puerto Rico, Curaçao respectively. This species seems to only
Found dead commensal of corals in Remarks: on the portions of the true acroporid the colonies. Caribbean.
Pagurus miamensis Provenzano, 1959 Genus Chlorodiella Rathbun, 1897
Reh.: 1959: 1980: Provenzano, 414, flg. 21; Rodriguez, Chlorodiella longimana (H. Milne Edwards, 232. 1834)
in 2 O- in A. Material: 3 Cf 19> 2Ç ov. A. cer- , prolifera; Ref.: Rathbun, 1930: 462, pl. 186 vicornis.
in A. Material: 8 O", 4Ç>, 2 9 ov., 6 juv. prolifera; lo-, 1
juv. in A. cervicornis. 4.7 6.0 Size: 2.0 x 2.7 mm Ç ov. to x mm 9 •
Range: Bahamas, Florida, Curaçao and Size: From 2.5 x 2.0 mm juv. to 21.3 x 13.2 Venezuela; in sublittoral to 3 m.
mm er. Found the dead of the Remarks: on portions Range: Florida and Curaçao. colony. A female in A. cervicornis was found with
Remarks: found on live portions ofthe the the Casually a parasitic isopod on ventral side of ab- coral. domen.
Genus Micropanope Stimpson, 1871 Suborder BRACHYURA
Section BRACHYGNATHA Micropanope spinipes A. Milne Edwards,
Superfamily BRACHYRHINCHA 1880
1838 Family XANTHIDAE MacLeavy, Ref.: Rathbun, 1930: 443, pi. 181 figs. 1, 2. Genus Domecia Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842
Material: 5 O", 49 , 13 juv. in A. cervicornis; 2juv. in A. pro-
lifera. Domecia acanthophora forma acanthophora
1867 Desbonne & Schramm, Size: From 1.1 3.0 6.1 4.1 x mm juv. to x Ref.: Guinot, 1964: 271, figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15 mm 9 •
A. Material: 19CT, 189, 21 9 ov., and 14juv. in palmata; Range: Florida keys to Isias Albrolhos, Brazil,
283 in ; 67 97 CT, 56 9, 51 9 ov., and juv. A. prolifera; er, Bahamas, Curaçao. in A. cervicornis. 44 Ç, 21 9 ov., 27 juv.
Genus Paraliomera Rathbun, 1930
11.5 8.7 Size: 1.7 x 1.4 mm juv. to x mm O". Paraliomera longimana (A. Milne Edwards, Atlantic and Range: Tropical among sponges 1865) branches of the corals Acropora and Poritesfurcata
Ref.: Rathbun, 1930: 243, pl. 101 figs. 1-3 (Rathbun, 1925).
This is far the Remarks: by most common Material: 3a, 9 9 in A. prolifera; 4o\ 39 in A. palmata. decapod crustacean collected. It is believed to
in Size: From 5.1 10.4 5.5 produce structural modifications A. palmata, x 2.3 mm 9 to x mm which Patton (1967) named "resting places". CT.
and northern South These crevices pits can be found in the up- Range: Florida to America,
of the bran- per portions corals and between Bermuda.
No observed All ches. structural deformations were Remarks: specimens were found inside in the of the other cavities and tunnels in the dead of the upper portions two Acropora portion species. Most crabs found in A. palmata crevices colonies. The tunnels are generally deep and
thus the The were ovigerous females, sex ratio was sometimes cross the bases of the colony.
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Material: 76 11 130 juv. in A. cervicornis ; colonies had to be completely broken up to 2260", 9, Ç ov., 48 37 6 15 in A. 1 O" , 9, Ç ov., juv. prolifera;; 1er, 9, 8juv. remove specimens. in A. palmata.
Genus Phymodius A. Milne Edwards, 1863 Size: From 8.2 x 7.2 mm juv. to 26.9 x 24.9 maculatus Phymodius (Stimpson, 1860) mm O* .
Caribbean Sea; in flats, coral rub- Refs.: Rathbun, 1930: 295, pi. 136; Rodriguez, 1980: Range: grass
355. ble and rocks; shallow water to 60 m.
This found Remarks: crab was commonly on Material: 2 O 1 Ç in A. cervicornis ; 1 juv. in A. prolifera.
the dead portions of the colonies, and was seen
Size: From on the associated 3.0 x 2.0 mm juv. to 18.9 x 16.7 feeding algae.
mm Cf.
Mithrax Milne Range: Bahamas and Florida Keys, Caribbean forceps (A. Edwards, 1875)
sea. Refs.: Rathbun, 1925: 431, pi. 156; Williams, 1965: 258,
figs. 238, 245e. Genus Tetraxanthus Rathbun, 1898 Material: 130", 6 9> 16 juv. in A. prolifera; 14cf, 159,38
in A. cervicornis. Tetraxanthus bidentatus (A. Milne Edwards, juv.
1880) From Size: 1.1 x 1.1 mm juv. to 12.3 x 11.2 Ref.: Rathbun, 1930: 458, pi. 184 mm 9 ■
Material: 1 in A. cervicomis. C Range: From North Carolina to Rio de
shallow Janeiro, Brazil; water to 50 m.
Size: 3.8 x 2.5 mm. Remarks: As with M. sculptus, this species was
North Carolina and Gulf of Mexico to Range: observed the dead commonly feeding on por- Frio, Brazil. Cape tions of the colonies.
A Remarks: new report for Venezuela.
Genus Microphris H. Milne Edwards, 1851 1815 Family PORTUNIDAE Rafinesque,
bicornutus Genus Portunus Weber, 1795 Microphris (Latreille, 1825)
Refs.: Rathbun, 1925: 489, fig. 139, pl. 173; Williams, Portunus Milne vocans (A. Edwards, 1878) 1965: 259, figs. 239, 245 f; Rodriguez, 1980: 293, pl. 30.
Ref.: Rathbun, 1930: 60, 25 8, 9. Material: 260", 3 Ç ov., 51 in A. cervicornis ; 1 O", 1 9 pi. figs. juv. ,
2 1 Ç ov., juv. in A. prolifera; 1 Ç in A. palmata. Material: 1 O" in A. prolifera.
From Size: 1.7 x 2.4 mm juv. to 17.8 x 23.9 Size: 8.7 x 5.6 mm.
mm O* . Range: Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and Ascension Range: North Carolina to Santa Catarina, Island in the South Atlantic; between 35 and 67 in coral Brazil; to m roots, and 220 m. mangrove Thalassia. A for Remarks: new report Venezuela; this tiny
Remarks: Observed on the dead portunid can be found in calcareous sand, coral only portions of the colonies. rubble and in flats. sea grass
Superfamily OXYRHINCHA
Mithracinae Family MAJIDAE; Subfamily DISCUSSION Genus Mithrax Latreille, 1817
The 30 species found in 3 acroporid coral Mithrax sculptus (Lamarck, 1818) in the de Los is species Archipiélago Roques a
Ref.: Rathbun, 1925: 442, figs. 125, 126, pi. 152 surprisingly large number ifcompared to the 25
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and 15 decapod species reported by Patton count for the fact that the ovigerous/non-
(1966) and Garth (1974) for acroporids in Sri ovigerous ratio of females collected inA. palmata
and 1 1 in and Lanka the Maldive Islands respectively, was 2:1, while it was : A. prolifera A.
located both in the Indo-Pacific where the pool cervicornis. This result was confirmed by our
of decapod species is considerably larger than in observations that most crevices in A. palmata
the their females of D. Caribbean. However, sampling were occupied by ovigerous acan-
methods be Further research could that appear not to adequate enough to thophora. prove
the of the associated fauna. these crevices prevent escape not only serve as resting places,
the lack of Thus, information on crustaceans as indicated by Patton (1967), but as shelters for
found corals the on acroporid in Caribbean and reproduction and brood care as well.
for that in other of the The distribution of the matter any region world, geographical decapod
plus the fact that different methods have been species found in the three species of Acropora
used in studying this fauna, renders difficult the from the Archipiélago de Los Roques is
of insular with in comparative analysis our findings. primarily a strong affinity
Researches the with the South Florida on decapod community of species composition (19
coral species are few. In the Pacific, Abele species shared), the Caribbean and Bermuda
(1976) found 55 species in the coral Pocillopora (18 species shared), and the West Indian Prov-
damicornis (Linnaeus, 1758), Edwards & Ember- inces (16 species shared). The weakest affinities
47 in exist with the Brazilian ton (1980) sampled species Stylophora seem to Tropical (12 pistillata Esper, 1797, and Coles (1980) located species shared) and the Caribbean Provinces
127 species in Pocillopora meandrina Dana, 1846, (10 species shared). Three of the species also oc-
and indicated that both live and dead coral were cur in the Eastern Atlantic and two in the South
In the Atlantic. these affinities indicate sampled. subtropical Atlantic, Reed et Although may
al. for and (1982) reported 52 decapod species the possible biogeographic relationships pat-
coral Oculina varicosa Lesueur, 1821, whereas terns in population mixing and/or existence of
found 19 the should McCloskey (1970) species on an ap- biogeographic barriers, relationships
parently similar species, Oculina arbuscula be taken with caution as they might simply
(Dana, 1848). reflect differential sampling efforts conducted in
At first hand it coral the seems that the above different provinces.
richer The caridean Latreutes the species have a decapod community than fucorum, palae-
the 3 of in Los This monid the species Acropora Roques. Alpheus simus, anomuran Pagurus
difference could be due the the to fact that the other brevidactylus and brachyurans Portunus vocans
coral Tetraxanthus bidentatus constitute species are structurally more complex and new
than for Acropora. However, at present it is impossi- reports Venezuela.
ble to make solid of any comparison decapod communities coral ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS among species, or geo-
areas. graphical We thank the staffof the Fundación Cientifica Los Roques
Most of the found in the Dos for decapod species at Mosquises, and at Caracas, their help and en-
thusiasm the Ernesto Weil present study were located in the dead portions throughout project, particularly for his assistance in the Dr. Gilberto of the colonies. these logistics, Rodriguez Possibly they utilize areas for confirming some of the identifications, and Pablo as refuges against predators or as reproductive for the This Rodriguez drawing map. project was made and feeding shelters. Only Domecia acanthophora possible by a grant of CONICIT. be seems to a true commensal that depends on the live coral tissue, as reported by Patton REFERENCES
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First draft received 24 February 1983
Revised draft received 15 May 1984
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