4.4 Diversity and Distribution of Echinoderms
Chesher (1972) published a list of Pacific and Caribbean echinoids and identified
potential geminate species pairs. Maluf (1988) synthesised and tabulated the
composition and distribution of central eastern Pacific echinoderms from the
literature, which has proved to be a valuable resource for researchers. Lessios
(2005a) updated the records of echinoids found in the Pacific waters of Panama,
and distinguished species that have been documented for Panama from those that
have collection records that straddle Panama, but with no published records of
actual presence in Panama. In the latter category Lessios (2005a) lists Kamptosoma
asterias (Agassiz, 1881), Plesiodiadema horridum (Agassiz, 1898), Cystocrepis
setigera (Agassiz, 1898), Pourtalesia tanneri Agassiz, 1898, Homolampas fulva
Agassiz, 1879, Echinometra oblonga (Blainville, 1825) and Encope perspectiva
Agassiz, 1841. The inclusion of E. perspectiva in this category is a mistake as it
was collected in Panama from Playa Grande, on San Jose Island, Pearl Islands
Archipelago by Clark (1946) and more recently by Coppard (2010) from the same
location. Plesiodiadema horridum is listed in the Smithsonian, National Museum of
Natural History collections as collected off Panama (USNM 21050). However, the
coordinates of the collection site (3°09.00
0 N, 82°08.00
0 W) indicate that it was
collected off Colombia. Lessios (2005a) gives details of why the subtropical
Centrostephanus coronatus (Verrill, 1867) and central and western Pacific species
E. oblonga are unlikely to occur in Panama, and that the record of Caenocentrotus
gibbosus (Agassiz, in Agassiz and Desor, 1846) in Panama is a mistake in the
literature.
Alvarado et al. (2008) assessed the diversity of echinoderms in the Caribbean of
Central America and gave faunal lists for each country. Panama had the greatest
species richness, with 154 species listed, comprised of 15 species of crinoids, 23
species of asteroids, 56 species of ophiuroids, 30 species of echinoids and 30
species of holothuroids. Among the crinoids they included both Davidaster
insolitus Clark 1917 and Davidaster discoideus (Carpenter, 1888). The number of
species of crinoids should be reduced to 14 because D. insolitus is currently
considered a junior synonym of D. discoideus (Messing 2010). Among the
asteroids, two species are missing from their list for Panama. These are Echinaster
(Othilia) echinophorus (Lamarck, 1816) collected from Limon Bay (Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History, USNM 38235) and Fort Randolph (USNM E
26417, USNM E 26418), and Persephonaster patagiatus (Sladen, 1889) collected
from the Gulf of Mosquitos (USNM E 31501). The number of ophiuroid species is
incorrect as Amphiodia riisei (Lütken, 1869) [sic] is a junior synonym of
Ophiophragmus riisei (Lütken in: Lyman 1860) (Stöhr 2010). Among the holothuroids they list Thyone deichmannae Madsen, 1941 and Thyone inermis Heller,
1868 which are junior synonyms of Havelockia inermis (Heller, 1868) (Hansson
2011). Although Alvarado et al. (2008) state that there are 30 echinoid species
recorded from off the Caribbean coast of Panama they only list 29 species which
agrees with more recent work by Coppard (2010).
128
S. E. Coppard and J. J. Alvarado
Chesher (1972) published a list of Pacific and Caribbean echinoids and identified
potential geminate species pairs. Maluf (1988) synthesised and tabulated the
composition and distribution of central eastern Pacific echinoderms from the
literature, which has proved to be a valuable resource for researchers. Lessios
(2005a) updated the records of echinoids found in the Pacific waters of Panama,
and distinguished species that have been documented for Panama from those that
have collection records that straddle Panama, but with no published records of
actual presence in Panama. In the latter category Lessios (2005a) lists Kamptosoma
asterias (Agassiz, 1881), Plesiodiadema horridum (Agassiz, 1898), Cystocrepis
setigera (Agassiz, 1898), Pourtalesia tanneri Agassiz, 1898, Homolampas fulva
Agassiz, 1879, Echinometra oblonga (Blainville, 1825) and Encope perspectiva
Agassiz, 1841. The inclusion of E. perspectiva in this category is a mistake as it
was collected in Panama from Playa Grande, on San Jose Island, Pearl Islands
Archipelago by Clark (1946) and more recently by Coppard (2010) from the same
location. Plesiodiadema horridum is listed in the Smithsonian, National Museum of
Natural History collections as collected off Panama (USNM 21050). However, the
coordinates of the collection site (3°09.00
0 N, 82°08.00
0 W) indicate that it was
collected off Colombia. Lessios (2005a) gives details of why the subtropical
Centrostephanus coronatus (Verrill, 1867) and central and western Pacific species
E. oblonga are unlikely to occur in Panama, and that the record of Caenocentrotus
gibbosus (Agassiz, in Agassiz and Desor, 1846) in Panama is a mistake in the
literature.
Alvarado et al. (2008) assessed the diversity of echinoderms in the Caribbean of
Central America and gave faunal lists for each country. Panama had the greatest
species richness, with 154 species listed, comprised of 15 species of crinoids, 23
species of asteroids, 56 species of ophiuroids, 30 species of echinoids and 30
species of holothuroids. Among the crinoids they included both Davidaster
insolitus Clark 1917 and Davidaster discoideus (Carpenter, 1888). The number of
species of crinoids should be reduced to 14 because D. insolitus is currently
considered a junior synonym of D. discoideus (Messing 2010). Among the
asteroids, two species are missing from their list for Panama. These are Echinaster
(Othilia) echinophorus (Lamarck, 1816) collected from Limon Bay (Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History, USNM 38235) and Fort Randolph (USNM E
26417, USNM E 26418), and Persephonaster patagiatus (Sladen, 1889) collected
from the Gulf of Mosquitos (USNM E 31501). The number of ophiuroid species is
incorrect as Amphiodia riisei (Lütken, 1869) [sic] is a junior synonym of
Ophiophragmus riisei (Lütken in: Lyman 1860) (Stöhr 2010). Among the holothuroids they list Thyone deichmannae Madsen, 1941 and Thyone inermis Heller,
1868 which are junior synonyms of Havelockia inermis (Heller, 1868) (Hansson
2011). Although Alvarado et al. (2008) state that there are 30 echinoid species
recorded from off the Caribbean coast of Panama they only list 29 species which
agrees with more recent work by Coppard (2010).
128
S. E. Coppard and J. J. Alvarado