5.2.2 Historical Account of Scientific Studies About Echinoderms
in the Pacific Coast of Colombia
Echinoderms from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), particularly on the Pacific
coast of Colombia, are not well known. The first records were collections made by
European explorers from the eighteenth century, when some descriptions of
species of this area were published.
To find works specifically devoted to the understanding and study of the fauna
of echinoderms of this area, it is necessary to go to the mid-nineteenth century.
At this time, several scientists from the United States and European institutions
published new species descriptions and reported new distributional data. The most
important contributions to the lists of species of echinoderms at that time in this
area are the works of Gray (1840), who described a large number of species of
asteroids, and Verrill (1867, 1868, 1869, 1870 and 1871), who published many
descriptions and lists of common species of shallow waters and described a large
part of the regular echinoids of the ETP. Lütken (1859) and Lyman (1879, 1882)
contributed descriptions of new species of ophiuroids. Selenka (1867) contributed
to knowledge of the holothurians. The Challenger Expedition (1873–1876) took
samples near the Galapagos Islands and the Gulf of Panama (Sladen 1889; Théel
1886), including species found in Colombian waters. At the end of the nineteenth
and the beginning of the twentieth century, as a result of the Albatross expeditions,
Agassiz (1891–1905) described a large number of species, mainly sea stars and sea
urchins of the Panamic province (Baja California to Peru) (Agassiz 1881, 1888).
H.L Clark (1916) published a study of asteroids of this region. Some major
expeditions visited the shores of the eastern Pacific Ocean in search of tropical
marine fauna, visiting specific places along the Colombian Pacific Coast, and gave
some records of echinoderm species. In particular, the ship ‘‘Saint George,’’ which
visited Gorgona Island in 1924–1925, the ‘‘Askoy Expedition,’’ which visited
Panama, Colombia and Ecuador in 1941, and Velero III (1931–1941) of the Allan
Hancock Foundation, which also visited Gorgona and elsewhere, contributed to
the knowledge of the marine fauna of the Colombian Pacific. These expeditions
resulted in the descriptions of other echinoderm species and important collections
of irregular sea urchins (Clark 1940, 1948) and holothurians (Deichmann 1938).
In the mid-twentieth century, a series of surveys undertaken by the Zoological
Society of New York and led by W. Beebe resulted in publications of echinoderms
of shallow waters from northern Baja California to Panama. In 1943, A.G. Fraser
made a compilation of the history of exploration, with sampling areas, maps, and
information on the cruises of ‘‘Velero III,’’ which focused on the echinoderm
species of rocky habitats.
Taxonomic knowledge of the species of the ETP was also increased by the
work done in Mexico by M.E. Caso between 1950 and 1987 (Caso 1953, 1971,
1974, 1976, 1978a, b, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1987), and by the expedition of the
Smithsonian Institution in 1972, which visited Malpelo Island and listed five
species of ophiuroids and four of echinoids in a paper about sublittoral
5 Echinoderms of Colombia
157
in the Pacific Coast of Colombia
Echinoderms from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), particularly on the Pacific
coast of Colombia, are not well known. The first records were collections made by
European explorers from the eighteenth century, when some descriptions of
species of this area were published.
To find works specifically devoted to the understanding and study of the fauna
of echinoderms of this area, it is necessary to go to the mid-nineteenth century.
At this time, several scientists from the United States and European institutions
published new species descriptions and reported new distributional data. The most
important contributions to the lists of species of echinoderms at that time in this
area are the works of Gray (1840), who described a large number of species of
asteroids, and Verrill (1867, 1868, 1869, 1870 and 1871), who published many
descriptions and lists of common species of shallow waters and described a large
part of the regular echinoids of the ETP. Lütken (1859) and Lyman (1879, 1882)
contributed descriptions of new species of ophiuroids. Selenka (1867) contributed
to knowledge of the holothurians. The Challenger Expedition (1873–1876) took
samples near the Galapagos Islands and the Gulf of Panama (Sladen 1889; Théel
1886), including species found in Colombian waters. At the end of the nineteenth
and the beginning of the twentieth century, as a result of the Albatross expeditions,
Agassiz (1891–1905) described a large number of species, mainly sea stars and sea
urchins of the Panamic province (Baja California to Peru) (Agassiz 1881, 1888).
H.L Clark (1916) published a study of asteroids of this region. Some major
expeditions visited the shores of the eastern Pacific Ocean in search of tropical
marine fauna, visiting specific places along the Colombian Pacific Coast, and gave
some records of echinoderm species. In particular, the ship ‘‘Saint George,’’ which
visited Gorgona Island in 1924–1925, the ‘‘Askoy Expedition,’’ which visited
Panama, Colombia and Ecuador in 1941, and Velero III (1931–1941) of the Allan
Hancock Foundation, which also visited Gorgona and elsewhere, contributed to
the knowledge of the marine fauna of the Colombian Pacific. These expeditions
resulted in the descriptions of other echinoderm species and important collections
of irregular sea urchins (Clark 1940, 1948) and holothurians (Deichmann 1938).
In the mid-twentieth century, a series of surveys undertaken by the Zoological
Society of New York and led by W. Beebe resulted in publications of echinoderms
of shallow waters from northern Baja California to Panama. In 1943, A.G. Fraser
made a compilation of the history of exploration, with sampling areas, maps, and
information on the cruises of ‘‘Velero III,’’ which focused on the echinoderm
species of rocky habitats.
Taxonomic knowledge of the species of the ETP was also increased by the
work done in Mexico by M.E. Caso between 1950 and 1987 (Caso 1953, 1971,
1974, 1976, 1978a, b, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1987), and by the expedition of the
Smithsonian Institution in 1972, which visited Malpelo Island and listed five
species of ophiuroids and four of echinoids in a paper about sublittoral
5 Echinoderms of Colombia
157