Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology B 2 (2012) 1190-1194

Earlier title: Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, ISSN 1939-1250 D DAVID PUBLISHING

Determination of Epibionts of the Marine Lepidochelys Olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) Nesting in Ceuta Beach, Sinaloa, Mexico

Ingmar Sosa-Cornejo1, Dulce Italivi Montaño-Valdez1, Marcos Bucio-Pacheco1, Fernando Enciso-Saracho2, Jorge Guillermo Sanchez-Zazueta1 and Estela Fierros-Pérez1 1. Escuela de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán Rosales, Sinaloa, CP 80030, México 2. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa. Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México

Received: July 9, 2012 / Published: October 20, 2012.

Abstract: Epibionts are floristic and faunistic benthonic organisms living attached to the skin of another ; this phenomenon is well known as epibiosis and has been documented for all species of marine . The interaction between the turtle and epibiotic organisms is to provide substrate for the epibionts communities, their presence are based mainly in the shell and in other anatomical structures in lower intensity. It has been registered that some epibionts affect growth, and can cause diverse damage in anatomical structures like the eyes, mouth, and limbs. They are usually vectors of disease. For such reasons the objective of the present work is to determinate the epibionts species associated with the marine turtle Lepidochelys olivacea in Ceuta beach, Sinaloa, Mexico. During the nesting season May-December of 2008-2009, the female turtles nesting and strandings were monitored and epibionts were collected. Eleven species distributed in the following taxa were obtained: fishes of the family Echeneidae, Hirudíneos (Ozobranchus branchiatus, Ozobranchus margoi), ( testudinaria, sp., virgatum) and the first registry of Stephanolepas muricata for Lepidochelys olivacea. According to the records from Ceuta Beach the species of epibionts are still being registered with the exception of Ozobranchus margoi, and Stephanolepas muricata, thus, suggesting further research on epibiont organisms.

Key words: Epibiont, Ceuta, Lepidochelys olivacea, turtles.

1. Introduction organisms that can harm anatomical structures such as eyes, fins, etc. and can be vectors of diseases that can Mexico has six of the seven species of sea turtles, be transmitted [2], as fibropapillomas (FP), a disease however all the populations of each species have that has managed to increase over the past 25 years [3] suffered a sharp decline and is currently in critical affecting multiple tissues, axillary regions, carapace, condition as threatened or endangered. At all stages of plastron, neck, mouth, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal their development there are several threats, tract, kidneys, eyes and can cause blindness [4, 5]. It influencing the decline in both populations and was first reported in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) species. These threats are naturally occurring storms, from Hawaii 1938, after that in Queensland Island, floods, predation of embryos by beetles [1], and Australia 1970 and recent work done by Flint et al. [6] capture by birds, mammals, and some reptiles. recorded eye fibropapillomas in Australian waters [6]. The sea is easy prey for carnivores such as fish and During their migration sea turtles a variety of plants sharks, as well as being colonized by parasitic and get attached to their bodies, known Corresponding author: Ingmar Sosa-Cornejo, M.Sc., collectively as epibionts [7]. These organisms are research fields: ecology and biology sea turtles. E-mail: known as epibionts and belong to the underclass and [email protected].

Determination of Epibionts of the Marine TurtleLepidochelys Olivacea 1191 (Eschscholtz, 1829) Nestingin Ceuta beach, Sinaloa, Mexico superorder Cirripedia and the identification of 3. Results different epibiotic groups provide data on the ecology, A total of 1,378 epibionts were registered, including biology and behavior of sea turtles. However, despite 11 different taxonomical groups distributed in the this, most of the topics on epibiosis focus mainly on phylum Annelida, Crustacea and Vertebrata. In Playa nesting turtles Caretta caretta and Eretmochelys Ceuta, Sinaloa, Mexico 104 turtles were studied and imbricata. Little work has been focused on investigating only 43 presented epibionts. These results showed a the organisms that live on the Olive ridley (Lepidochelys statistically significant difference in relation to the olivacea). The present study reveals Epibionts that abundance by species that exists (Chi2 = 3262 Chi2 attach and grow on Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) 0.995, 10 = 23.589), being Lepas anatifera the species in Playa Ceuta, Sinaloa, Mexico. significantly more abundant (Fig. 2). 2. Materials and Methods We identified 11 epibiotic species from olive ridleys nesting at Playa Ceuta (Fig. 3). Coronuloid 2.1. Study Area turtle , (Fig. 3A), The Playa Ceuta is in the central region of the state Stomatolepas praegustator (Fig. 3B), Leeches, of Sinaloa, in the municipality of Elota; this beach is Ozobranchus branchiatus (Fig. 3C) and Ozobranchus considered a zone of reserve and site of refuge for the margoi (Fig. 3D), Lepadomorph barnacles, protection of the marine turtle, according to the Conchoderma virgatum (Fig. 3E), Lepas anserifera Mexican presidential decree appearing in the official (Fig. 3F), amphipods Podocerus chelonophilus (Fig. newspaper of the 29 of October of 1986 (Fig. 1). The 3G), grapsid crabs Planes mayor (Fig. 3H), camp is located 1 km to the north of the small town of Gammarus sp. (Fig. 3I). We also present the first Playa Ceuta, where the only road coming from La record of Stephanolepas muricata (Fig. 3J) from olive Cruz of Elota (municipal head) comes to an end, 7 km ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea and the fish from this city and 4 km from the town of Ceuta [8, 9]. Remora remora (Fig. 3K).

2.2. Field Data 4. Discussion

Nocturnal routes were made on foot and with the In this study 11 epibiont species were reported and help of one ATV during the nesting season of the Olive six are new reports for Playa Ceuta. With respect to ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), from May to December other works Diaz et al. [12], reported 8 taxonomical of 2008 and 2009. Epibionts were collected from the groups in the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) bodies of the turtles, carefully scraping with a spatula and the Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles in the regions of the head, neck, limbs, plastron, shell and Michoacán, Mexico; Hernandez [13] in Vallarta, clamps of dissection to collect organisms inlaid in the Mexico 8 different species in nesting females of Olive skin; for the cloacal zone and hurt areas, the samples ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) were reported; were directly extracted. The vertebrate organisms were Cardenas and Maldonado [14] revealed 10 species on conserved in ethanol to 70% and the formalin Hawksbill juveniles turtles (Eretmochelys imbricate), vertebrates to 10%. Later, they were transferred for in Yucatan, Mexico; Hernandez and Valadez [15] and identification to the laboratory of Zoology of the Enciso et al. [16], working in different beaches from Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa. In order to identify Jalisco, Mexico, both reported 9 species in one season. the species, the special publication of epibionts, Angulo et. al. [17] in Playa Ceuta, Mexico, reported 5 compiled from 1758 to the 2007, was used [10]. The species of epibionts. Nevertheless, the reports done by epibionts abundance was analyzed by Chi2 statistic [11]. Caine [18] and Williams and Frick [19] determined for

1192 Determination of Epibionts of the Marine TurtleLepidochelys Olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) Nestingin Ceuta beach, Sinaloa, Mexico

Fig. 1 Area of study in the coast of Sinaloa, Mexico.

600 525 Frecuency 450 Expected 375 300 225 150 75 0

Fig. 2 Abundance of species by epibionts in the marine turtle Lepidochelys that nests in Playa Ceuta, Sinaloa. the Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) around 125 contrast to the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) species of epibionts, and 100 that conform to the and olive ridley on (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles epibiotic community of the Hawksbill turtle may be because most of available information are (Eretmochelys imbricata). On the other hand, the fact directed to these two. It’s important to have research that there are greater numbers of epibiotic organisms work done on other species of turtles, in special on reported in both turtles, Loggerhead (Caretta those “less important”. The differences in the richness caretta) and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), in on a variety of species

Determination of Epibionts of the Marine TurtleLepidochelys Olivacea 1193 (Eschscholtz, 1829) Nestingin Ceuta beach, Sinaloa, Mexico

A B C

D E F

G H I

J K

Fig. 3 Epibionts collected from Lepidochelys olivacea nesting in Sinaloa: A. Chelonibia testudinaria, B. Stomatolepas praegustator, C. Ozobranchus branchiatus, D. Ozobranchus margoi, E. Conchoderma virgatum, F. Lepas anserifera, G. Podocerus chelonophilus, H. Planes mayor, I. Gamarus sp, J. Stephanolepas muricata and K. Remora remora. according to Halffter [20] depends of circumstances species is found in high densities, at a distance seem including the effort, sampling period, sample size and leeches that are attached together at the neck, shoulder the sampled area. Some of above sampled for 2 months, and posterior third of the shell (Fig. 3F), hence the 6 months, our study involved 12 months. high number of individuals, however, this species is Another factor playing a roll on the few reports of not often found on olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys species of epibionts in the Olive ridley turtle olivacea), but when it is found at high densities as (Lepidochelys olivacea) respect to the other species mentioned above. The most frequent species of could be their pelagic habits as it is highly migratory epibionts found on this work in the olive ridley turtle behavior causes the adhesion of the epibionts is were barnacles and Chelonibia testudinaria and difficult as mentioned by Marquez [21]. Additionally Stomatolepas which agree with most of the studies Lepidochelys olivacea is the only turtle species found reviewed. This is because such species are more in all oceans, so it constantly engages in ocean successful in surface fixation [12, 25]. currents, this has proven to be an inhibiting factor in It is recommended that more studies on the biota the growth of epibionts [22], low temperatures also and physical health of sea turtles in different sites in decrease growth rates of invertebrates [23]. In the the region were done year after year. Gulf of California is characterized by cold water [24]. Acknowledges For these reasons, the few species of epibionts could be an explanation for our results. Thanks to the School of Biology of the Universidad Of the 11 identified species we can mention that the Autonoma de Sinaloa and Agricola Tarriba for the most abundant species was Lepas anatifera, this contribution in equipment and inputs for the

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