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Corales, Esponjas, Gorgonaceos Y Peces

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Corales, Esponjas, Gorgonaceos Y Peces Rev. Invest. Mar. 25(1): 37-44, 2004 COMPONENTES MÁS COMUNES DE LA FAUNA DEL ARRECIFE DE CORAL DE LA COSTA ORIENTAL DE BAHÍA DE COCHINOS, CUBA: CORALES, ESPONJAS, GORGONACEOS Y PECES. Hansel Caballero *, Pedro P. Chevalier, Galia Varona, Antonio L. Cárdenas, Lourdes Pastor, Aneisy Pérez-Hernández y Yanet García. Acuario Nacional de Cuba, Calle 1ra y 60, Playa, CP 11300, Ciudad Habana, Cuba. (*) Autor correspondiente: [email protected] RESUMEN Se ofrece una lista de especies de los componentes más comunes del arrecife de la costa oriental de Bahía de Cochinos, estudiada durante los meses de octubre del 2002 y marzo del 2003. Se identificaron 36 especies de corales escleractínios pertenecientes a 20 géneros y 11 familias y 2 especies de hidrozoos pertenecientes al género Millepora, dominando Montastraea, Siderastraea y Agaricia. La comunidad de gorgonias estuvo formada por 24 especies concernientes a 9 géneros y 4 familias donde Plexaura y Briareum fueron los géneros dominantes. Se encontraron 30 especies de esponjas repartidas equitativamente, incluyendo 19 familias y 21 géneros. Se identificaron 80 especies de peces óseos, pertenecientes a 64 géneros, 37 familias y 7 órdenes; así como 2 especies de peces cartilaginosos pertenecientes a 2 géneros, 2 familias y 1 orden. Las familias que presentaron mayor número de especies fueron Labridae, Scaridae, Pomacentridae, Serranidae, Lutjanidae y Haemulidae. Palabras clave: ABSTRACT In October 2002 and March 2003 was carried out a study in the reef of the Eastern coast of “Bahía de Cochinos”. A total of 36 species of hard corals were identified, belonging to 20 genera and 11 families; also were recognized 2 species of fire corals belonging to the genus Millepora. The dominating genera were Montastraea, Siderastraea and Agaricia. The gorgonian community was formed by 24 species regarding to 9 genera and 4 families, of which the genera Plexaura and Briareum were the dominant. On the other hand, 30 species of sponges were found uniformly distributed, belonging to19 families and 21 genera. Also, 80 species of bony fish were identified, belonging to 64 genera, 37 families and 7 orders; as well as 2 species of cartilaginous fish belongings to 2 genera, 2 families and 1 order. The families that presented higher number of species were Labridae, Scaridae, Pomacentridae, Serranidae, Lutjanidae and Haemulidae. Key words: Los organismos que conforman el arrecife de coral constituye un drástico y significativo cambio en la brindan la mejor opción para el estudio de los estructura de la comunidad sésil (Sullivan y cambios ambientales en un ecosistema marino. Chiappone, 1993). Estos han de estar forzadamente adaptados al ambiente en que habitan, por lo tanto, su El número de especies de peces que habitan en un abundancia o escasez y en algunos casos su arrecife constituye una señal de la salud del presencia o ausencia en un sitio determinado, debe mismo en cuanto a la acción antrópica a que está reflejar las condiciones ambientales imperantes; o sometido. Una diversidad relativamente alta sea, su severidad y comportamiento temporal denota estabilidad en el ambiente arrecifal, dicha (Alcolado, 1984). diversidad puede verse disminuida por un impacto humano desestabilizador como puede ser la El listado de especies bentónicas (corales, esponjas contaminación, la sobrepesca o la destrucción del y gorgonias) se emplea generalmente como arrecife. Lo anterior propicia el aumento de las referencia para la comparación de especies en el poblaciones de unas pocas especies oportunistas tiempo y con otros sistemas arrecifales. Se plantea las cuales desplazan competitivamente a un gran que una variación de un 10% o más del listado de número de especies incapaces de sobreponerse a especies formadoras de arrecifes en una zona, los fuertes cambios ambientales. 37 Caballero et al.: Fauna del arrecife de coral de la costa oriental de Bahía de Cochinos, Cuba: Corales, esponjas, gorgonaceos y peces. Terraza profunda: Pendiente irregular con En este trabajo se realiza un estudio cualitativo de inclinación variable de 45° a 60° hasta los 20 m las comunidades de corales, gorgonias, esponjas y donde el talud cae abruptamente. Presenta peces de la costa este de la Bahía de Cochinos y se canales de arena perpendiculares al borde del ejecuta mediante el empleo de censos visuales arrecife. Desarrollo abundante de corales y directos in situ, sin la alteración de la comunidad esponjas. natural. En artículos posteriores se presentarán los análisis cuantitativos de estos grupos de especies. MATERIALES Y METODOS La costa oriental de la Bahía de Cochinos presenta un arrecife costero continuo que se extiende aproximadamente 25 Km a lo largo de la costa de forma homogénea (desde los 22° 15´ N, 81° 10´W N hasta los 22° 05´ N, 81° 05´ W). El arrecife Canal de Sopillar comienza a pocos metros de la orilla (de 3 a 5 m), Campismo entre 1 y 3 m de profundidad, aumentando Ciénaga Oriental de Zapata paulatinamente la profundidad hasta 0 aproximadamente 10-15 m (a unos 200 m de la Cueva de los Peces 22 11´ costa aproximadamente). A partir de este punto la Sitios de muestreo pendiente cae bruscamente, formando una pared casi vertical que desciende hasta cerca de 80 m de profundidad. Punta Perdiz Se establecieron 4 sitios de muestreo separados entre sí a una distancia aproximada de 5 a 9 Km Los Cocos cada uno (Fig.1). En cada sitio se establecieron 810 20´ tres estaciones de muestreo atendiendo a la 0510 Km variación del perfil y las características topográficas del fondo no sobrepasando los 15 m Fig. 1. Zona de estudio de profundidad. Las estaciones de muestreo (Fig. 2), en orden creciente de profundidad fueron las siguientes: Biotopo de cabezos: Extensiones rocoso- Biotopo de cabezos arenosas donde se despliegan promontorios de Terraza somera corales que varían desde pequeños cabezos hasta parches que alcanzan más de 10 m de diámetro y 2.5 m de altura. Desarrollo Terraza profunda abundante de corales, gorgonias y esponjas. Terraza Somera: Es una elevación a manera de muro o quicio de más de un metro que aparece de pronto justo antes de la pendiente del veril. Está antecedido por un corredor o canal arenoso transverso (paralelo al borde de la plataforma) que lo delimita de la zona coralina menos Fig. 2. Representación esquemática del perfil de profunda adyacente. Presenta varios parches de fondo de la costa oriental de Bahía de Cochinos. Se arena. Desarrollo abundante de corales y presentan los biotopos donde se colocaron las esponjas. estaciones de muestreo en cada sitio de trabajo. 38 Rev. Invest. Mar. 25(1): 37-44, 2004 tres especies antes mencionadas, son especies Para el conteo de los corales in situ se empleó el prácticamente exclusivas de paredes y que transecto lineal de 10 metros como unidad de resultan muy raras en los otros biotopos. muestreo, contando solamente las colonias cuyo diámetro máximo sobrepasó los 10 cm. Para el En total se encontraron 30 especies de esponjas conteo de gorgonias y esponjas se utilizó el marco pertenecientes 19 familias y 21 géneros. Las más cuadrado de 1 m de lado (Weinberg, 1981). La abundantes fueron Mycale laevis, Aplysina clasificación de los órdenes Scleractinea y cauliformis, Cliona aprica, Aplysina fistularis y Milleporina se realizó siguiendo los criterios de Ectyoplasia ferox las cuales conforman el 48 % del Weil y knowlton (1994), Steneck et al. (1997) y total de especies contadas. En los biotopos Beltrán-Torres y Carricart-Ganivet (1998). Las someros dominó M. laevis seguido por C. aprica y gorgonias se identificaron hasta el nivel de especie A. cauliformis. En los biotopos de mayor utilizando los listados de Alcolado y García- profundidad se encontró mayor variabilidad en la Parrado (1996) y de Lalana et al. (2001). Las dominancia de especies. colonias que no pudieron ser identificadas in situ se les cortó una rama para su posterior Se identificaron 80 especies de peces teleósteos, identificación al microscopio sobre la base de la pertenecientes a 64 géneros, 37 familias y 7 forma de los escleritos (Bayer, 1961). Las esponjas órdenes; así como 2 especies de peces se identificaron in situ mediante el empleo del cartilaginosos pertenecientes a 2 géneros, 2 catálogo para esponjas de Cuba de Alcolado familias y 1 orden. Las familias que presentaron (2002). Las asociaciones de peces se analizaron mayor número de especies fueron Labridae, mediante conteos visuales según el método de Scaridae, Pomacentridae, Serranidae, Lutjanidae y tramos de Brock (1954). La identificación de los Haemulidae. Las especies más abundantes fueron peces se concibió conforme a los trabajos de Coriphopterus personatus, Chromis cyanea, Guitart (1985), Bohlke y Chaplin (1968) y Humann Clepticus parrai, Thalasoma bisfaciatum y Scarus (1994). Los muestreos de la comunidad bentónica iserti. se realizaron en octubre del 2002 mientras que las asociaciones de peces se analizaron en los meses Lista sistemática de las diferentes especies de octubre del 2002 y marzo del 2003. localizadas por encima de los quince metros de profundidad en Bahía de Cochinos. RESULTADOS. Phylum Porífera Se identificaron en total 36 especies de corales Clase Demospongiae escleractínios pertenecientes a 20 géneros y 11 Orden Poecilosclerida familias y 2 especies de hidrozoos pertenecientes al Familia Mycalidae género Millepora. En general en la zona la especie Mycale laxissima (Duchassaing y Michelotti, dominante fue Montastraea annularis alcanzando 1864) las máximas densidades en los biotopos de cabezos Mycale laevis (Carter, 1882) y terrazas someras. Agaricia agaricites, Familia Raspailiidae Siderastraea siderea y Porites astreoides Ectyoplasia ferox (Duchassaing y Michelotti, igualmente dominaron; estas cuatro especies, en 1864) su conjunto, conformaron el 60% del total de Familia Myxillidae especies de coral contadas. Iotrochota birotulata (Higgin, 1877) Familia Desmacellidae Se reconocieron 24 especies de gorgonáceos Neofibularia nolitangere (Duchassaing y pertenecientes a 9 géneros y 4 familias. De Michelotti, 1864) estas,13 representan el 95 % del total de colonias Orden Verongida contadas.
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