Vol. XXXVI(9): 2004 THE FESTIVUS Page 105 OPISTHOBRANCH MOLLUSKS OF PARQUE NACIONAL DE COIBA, PANAMA (TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC) ALICIA HERMOSILLO1 Universidad de Guadalajara Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biologicas y Agropecuarias Las Agujas, Zapopan Jalisco, Mexico E-mail: alicia [email protected] Abstract: In May 2003 a faunal study was conducted in Parque Nacional de Coiba aboard Smithsonian's RV Urracd. During the expedition, opisthobranchs were targeted during the 50 dives, 22 trawls and 8 intertidal surveys. Over 950 specimens of 75 species of opisthobranchs in the orders "Cephalaspidea," "Notaspidea," Anaspidea, Sacoglossa and Nudibranchia were found. Locality data, size, depth and habitat observations were recorded for each specimen found. Twenty-two of these species have not been previously reported as occurring within Parque Nacional de Coiba, Golfo de Chiriqui, Panama or anywhere else south of Panama; 10 species found are unidentified or yet undescribed. Species previously reported for Parque Nacional de Coiba are discussed herein. Introduction Parque Nacional de Coiba is a group of islands located south of the Veraguas Province (in the southwest of the Republica de Panama) in the southeast part of the Golfo de Chiriqui between 7°10' and 7°53'N and 81°32' and 81°56'W. Because of its geographical isolation, a penal colony was established at Isla de Coiba in 1910. It is still active today and has contributed to the preservation of the flora and fauna on the islands. Parque Nacional de Coiba was established in 1991, under the administration of ANAM (Autoridad Nacional de Medio Ambiente), to protect and preserve its natural environment and wildlife. Coiba itself, (50,314 ha) is among the largest islands of the American Pacific. The other islands in the Park are Rancheria, known also as Coibita (242 ha), Jicaron Figure 1. Map of the Republica de Panama and insert of Parque (2,002 ha), Jicarita (125 ha), Afuerita (27 ha), Canal de Nacional de Coiba. Afuera (240 ha), Pajaros (45 ha), Uva (257 ha) and Brincanco (330 ha) for a total land surface of 53,582 ha There are two distinct climatic seasons in Parque together with 216,543 ha of marine areas making Parque Nacional de Coiba: the dry season from December to Nacional de Coiba one of the most extensive parks in the April, with strong winds that cause up welling, a drop in world. It protects three kinds of ecosystems: the islands, water temperature (from 20 to 15°C) and a rise in reefs and marine life (San Martin et al., 1997) (Figures nutrient levels, and the rainy season, from May to 1&2). December, with typical afternoon showers, higher water Mailing address: Tenochtitlan #214, Cd. del Sol, Zapopan, Jalisco, C.P. 45050, Mexico. Page 106 THE FESTIVUS Vol. XXXVI(9): 2004 -82*00' -81* 50" -81'4ff -81*30' and Troncoso (1999, 2001) described two species whose type localities are within Parque Nacional de Coiba. 7*50' t r 7* SO' During the present study, several species of opisthobranchs not previously known from the Park or &"&\ Panama were collected. i rw Ma Canal ~'--*V-. 7*40' Other authors have studied other elements of the svV ^Q de Afiiera molluscan fauna (Bivalvia, Polyplacophora and the shelled groups of Gastropoda) of the Golfo de Chiriqui r in the Veraguas Province: Strong (1939); Hertlein 7*30' ^Isladt /* 7*30' Coiba ^ (1946-1950); Gonzalez, G. (1983); Aviles (1984); Gil (1996) and Gonzalez, M. (1999). -f\ v_ 7*20' '20' Materials and Methods Collecting and observation were conducted during % IsIaJicarita the month of May 2003 aboard the RV Urracd. The "10- | 7* 10" areas surveyed were sand and rocky shores, sea mounts, 2*00' -81*50' -81*40' -81*30' islets, estuaries and reefs in order to find the species living in all distinct habitats within the Park. The survey Figure 2. Map of Parque National de Coiba. covered three different zones: intertidal, subtidal (5 to 25 m by scuba-diving) and deep (51 to 106 m) by temperatures and clearer waters (San Martin etal, 1997). trawling. Opisthobranchs were found on and under rocks, within cracks and crevices and on potential prey There is a paucity of information on Coiba and most or habitat (such as algae, sponges, hydroids, bryozoans, data were generated during the development of the corals and gorgonians). Specimens were deposited at management plan of Parque Nacional de Coiba. The the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, present paper is the result of an expedition, part of an California Academy of Sciences and the KL Kaiser ongoing faunal study of the coastal and oceanic islands Collection. of the Tropical Eastern Pacific conducted by the The trawling was done aboard the RV Urracd. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, with otter trawl used was 5 m wide, with a protective net of the goal of increasing our knowledge of the local fauna. 3 cm and an inner mesh of 6 mm. The net was lowered Keen (1971) reports 28 species of both shelled and by a metal cable with a winch. The length of the cable shell-less opisthobranchs for Panama and 10 additional was calculated to three times the depth. Once the cable species that occur in adjacent areas and would be was fully extended, the trawl was conducted for 15 expected to inhabit suitable substrates of Panama. Later, minutes. The net was then winched up to the surface various authors reported 18 species from Panama but not and untied on the deck where the specimens collected specifically for Parque Nacional de Coiba: Sphon (1971) were sorted by taxonomic group. one species; Bertsch et al. (1973) one species; Abbott Size, depth and habitat observations were recorded (1974) four species; Ferreira & Bertsch (1975) one for each opisthobranch found. The size was measured species; Bertsch (1979) one species; Bertsch & Kerstitch in situ with a metric ruler and depth and temperature (1984) one species; Gosliner & Bertsch (1988) one were taken with an Uwatec Smart dive computer. A species; Gosliner (1990, 1991 & 1994) seven species; station number was assigned to each dive, trawl and Gosliner & Behrens (1998) one species. intertidal survey, with the acronym ICP (Isla de Coiba, San Martin et. al. (1997) report a species list of 12 Panama) and a consecutive number. For each station opisthobranchs for Parque Nacional de Coiba; 15 we recorded date, latitude and longitude, time of day, additional species are listed in Vega et al. (2000) in an temperature range, depth range surveyed, type of extensive paper listing mollusks for the Veraguas substrate, energy level and dominant reef Province (of these, 5 are reported from the Park and 10 characteristics. All species were photographed in situ in other locations of the Veraguas Province). Garcia when possible and/or in an aquarium. Vol. XXXVI(9): 2004 THE FESTIVUS Page 107 Results and Discussion Anaspidea, 9 "Notaspidea," 5 Sacoglossa and 52 Nudibranchia. Of this total, 22 species collected have not Reported herein are the 75 species of been previously reported as occurring within Parque opisthobranchs that were found during the month of Nacional de Coiba, Panama, or in localities south of May 2003 in 22 trawls, 50 dives and 8 shore Panama. Additionally, 10 species are new to science. excursions. They include members in the orders In order to simplify the presentation of results, all "Cephalaspidea," "Notaspidea,"Anaspidea, Sacoglossa collecting stations were grouped into major areas of the and Nudibranchia. A total of 951 specimens of Park. Table 1 presents these localities, me general latitudes opisthobranchs were measured and recorded. Seventy- and longitudes and shorter names (i.e. Isla de Coiba five species were identified: 4 "Cephalaspidea," 5 northwest as Coiba NW) and are then used in Table 2. Table 1, Collecting Areas in Parque Nacional de Coiba. Areas As referred to in Table 2 Longitude and Latitude Canal de Rancheria Rancheria 07'37'N, 081'42'W Isla Afuerita Afuerita 07'42'N, 081'37'W Isla Brincanco Brincanco 07"52'N, 081'47'W Isla Canal de Afuera C. Afuera 07'41'N, 081'37'W Isla Coibita Coibita 07'39'N, 081'43'W Isla de Coiba east Coiba E 07'24'N.0S1'39'W Isla de Coiba northeast Coiba NE 07'35'N, 081'42'W Isla de Coiba northwest Coiba NW 07'37'N, 081'47'W Isla de Coiba southeast Coiba SE 07'25'N, 081'41'W Isla de Coiba west Coiba W 07'31'N.081*53'W Isla Jicarita Jicarita 07'13'N,081'48'W Isla Jicaron Jicaron 07'17'N,081'48'W Isla Uva Uva 07'49'N,08r45'W Islas Contreras Contreras 07'46'N, 081'45'W Trawl off Isla Jicaron and Trawl 1 07'17'N, 081'43'W Jicarita Trawl off Islas Contreras Trawl 2 07'40'N,081'44'W Benthic Trawl Collections Flabeilina cynara (Marcus & Marcus, 1967) (12 Benthic trawls brought up specimens of all major specimens were collected without any cerata remaining taxonomic groups: mollusks, fish, crustaceans, sponges but identified by the unique purple markings on foot, and a few cnidarians. Opisthobranchs taken in trawl tail, oral tentacles and rhinophores); Bertheilitja ilisima samples normally suffer from distortion and damage due Marcus & Marcus, 1967; Berthella californka (Ball, to their soft bodies. Nonetheless, the species of 1990); Armina californica (Cooper, 1863); Navanax opisthobranchs collected in the trawls were successfully aenigmaiicus (Bergh, 1894) and Chromodoris marislae identified. Bertsch & Ferreira, 1973. The latter is the first report A total of 76 specimens of an undescribed species of of this species outside of Mexico. Armina Raftnesque, 1848 (Nudibranchia: Arminina), were collected live along with what is its known Subtidal and Intertidal Collections preferred alcyonarian prey (Cavemularia sp.).