communities (Birkeland et al. 1975) and reported the presence of six species of
asteroids (Downey 1975). Hendler (1979) contributed to knowledge of ophiuroid
biology. The synthetic works of Clark (1989), Clark and Downey (1992),
and Maluf (1988) on echinoderms of Central America included published and
unpublished reports of the ETP, with new reports and ecological information on
this group in the area. More recent works on echinoderms of ETP are those of
Pawson (1995), Solis-Marin (1997), and Lessios (2005).
The taxonomic and ecological investigation of Colombian Pacific echinoderms
was done almost entirely after the 1980s. In this decade, a research group from the
Universidad del Valle, Cali, published papers, mainly species lists or descriptive
ecology, for some coastal localities between 1985 and 1999. These include
the papers of Neira and Von Prahl (1986), who listed 20 species for the island of
Gorgona, including 11 new records; Cantera et al. (1987), who reported two
species of ophiuroids (Ophiactis savingny and Ophiothela mirabilis) associated
with the gorgonian Leptogorgia alba; and Cantera and Neira (1987) who collected
for the first time a parasitic mollusk (genus Echineulima) from the carapace and
spines of the sea urchin Centrostephanus coronatus on Gorgona Island.
Neira and Cantera (1988) reported 17 species of echinoderms of Bahía Malaga:
six asteroids, two echinoids, eight ophiuroids, and one holothurian, of which six
were new records for the Colombian Pacific. Pardo et al. (1988) recorded the
presence in the Colombian Pacific of 70 species, with the first analysis of the
descriptive ecology of echinoderms, including distribution and abundance patterns
of species of several habitats of the Pacific coast of Colombia. Von Prahl (1990)
reported 17 species of echinoderms from Malpelo Island. Neira et al. (1992)
reported the presence of 15 species of echinoderms of the PNN Ensenada Utría
(five asteroids, five ophiuroids and five echinoids) and a short description of two
new records for the Colombian Pacific (Mithrodia bradleyi and Encope ecuadorensis). Brando et al. (1992) increased the number from Malpelo Island to 18
species. Furthermore, Schoppe and Werding (1996) studied the effect of the
activity of the boring urchin Echinometra vanbrunti upon rocky shores. Maluf
(1991) increased the list of echinoderm species in a paper mentioning 200 species
of the Galapagos archipelago, including 50 species shared with Malpelo Island.
Cantera et al. (2001) reported the echinoderms associated with bioerosion of
coral reefs of Gorgona Island, finding three species of sea urchins: Diadema
mexicanum and Centrostephanus coronatus that were abundant in the reefs, and
Astropyga pulvinata that was very occasional. Arboleda (2002) listed 118 species
of echinoderms in a paper about the status of knowledge of fishes and some
invertebrates of the Pacific coast of Colombia. Toro-Farmer (1998) and ToroFarmer et al. (2004) studied the patterns of distribution and bioerosion rate of the
sea urchin Centrostephanus coronatus on Gorgona Island, finding a rate of
bioerosion of ca. 0.19 kg m
-2 year
-1 . Neira and Cantera (2005), in a review of
published and unpublished literature and unpublished data of zoological collections on the taxonomy and ecology of Pacific Colombian echinoderms, reported 66
species found in shallow bottoms at 10 localities on different substrates confirmed
158
M. Benavides-Serrato et al.
asteroids (Downey 1975). Hendler (1979) contributed to knowledge of ophiuroid
biology. The synthetic works of Clark (1989), Clark and Downey (1992),
and Maluf (1988) on echinoderms of Central America included published and
unpublished reports of the ETP, with new reports and ecological information on
this group in the area. More recent works on echinoderms of ETP are those of
Pawson (1995), Solis-Marin (1997), and Lessios (2005).
The taxonomic and ecological investigation of Colombian Pacific echinoderms
was done almost entirely after the 1980s. In this decade, a research group from the
Universidad del Valle, Cali, published papers, mainly species lists or descriptive
ecology, for some coastal localities between 1985 and 1999. These include
the papers of Neira and Von Prahl (1986), who listed 20 species for the island of
Gorgona, including 11 new records; Cantera et al. (1987), who reported two
species of ophiuroids (Ophiactis savingny and Ophiothela mirabilis) associated
with the gorgonian Leptogorgia alba; and Cantera and Neira (1987) who collected
for the first time a parasitic mollusk (genus Echineulima) from the carapace and
spines of the sea urchin Centrostephanus coronatus on Gorgona Island.
Neira and Cantera (1988) reported 17 species of echinoderms of Bahía Malaga:
six asteroids, two echinoids, eight ophiuroids, and one holothurian, of which six
were new records for the Colombian Pacific. Pardo et al. (1988) recorded the
presence in the Colombian Pacific of 70 species, with the first analysis of the
descriptive ecology of echinoderms, including distribution and abundance patterns
of species of several habitats of the Pacific coast of Colombia. Von Prahl (1990)
reported 17 species of echinoderms from Malpelo Island. Neira et al. (1992)
reported the presence of 15 species of echinoderms of the PNN Ensenada Utría
(five asteroids, five ophiuroids and five echinoids) and a short description of two
new records for the Colombian Pacific (Mithrodia bradleyi and Encope ecuadorensis). Brando et al. (1992) increased the number from Malpelo Island to 18
species. Furthermore, Schoppe and Werding (1996) studied the effect of the
activity of the boring urchin Echinometra vanbrunti upon rocky shores. Maluf
(1991) increased the list of echinoderm species in a paper mentioning 200 species
of the Galapagos archipelago, including 50 species shared with Malpelo Island.
Cantera et al. (2001) reported the echinoderms associated with bioerosion of
coral reefs of Gorgona Island, finding three species of sea urchins: Diadema
mexicanum and Centrostephanus coronatus that were abundant in the reefs, and
Astropyga pulvinata that was very occasional. Arboleda (2002) listed 118 species
of echinoderms in a paper about the status of knowledge of fishes and some
invertebrates of the Pacific coast of Colombia. Toro-Farmer (1998) and ToroFarmer et al. (2004) studied the patterns of distribution and bioerosion rate of the
sea urchin Centrostephanus coronatus on Gorgona Island, finding a rate of
bioerosion of ca. 0.19 kg m
-2 year
-1 . Neira and Cantera (2005), in a review of
published and unpublished literature and unpublished data of zoological collections on the taxonomy and ecology of Pacific Colombian echinoderms, reported 66
species found in shallow bottoms at 10 localities on different substrates confirmed
158
M. Benavides-Serrato et al.