7.2 Research
Along the Venezuelan coast there are few studies pertaining to species of the
Phylum Echinodermata, and most have focused mainly on the northern Caribbean
Sea region. Studies made in the Atlantic region have been financed by the
Venezuelan oil industry (PDVSA) and include the Environmental Base Line of the
Platform in the Orinoco River delta (Martín et al. 2007) and the Venezuelan
Atlantic Front (Gómez et al. 2005).
7.2.1 Taxonomy
The first studies dealing with the Phylum Echinodermata (Families: Astropectinidae, Luidiidae and Echinasteridae) in Venezuela, came from the Belgian research
cruise ‘‘Mercator’’ between 1935 and 1936, which followed a trajectory between
Florida and Venezuela (Engel et al. 1960). Furthermore, Ummels (1963) and
Jangoux (1978) published studies on asteroids where they incorporated locations
from the country.
At a regional level, the work on echinoderm taxonomy was initiated in the
1960s with the publication of Zoppi de Roa (1967), who made an exhaustive
identification of the species belonging to the different classes along the Venezuelan
coast, from where she reported 65 species. On the other hand, Work (1969)
reported 27 species for Los Roques Archipelago National Park distributed as
follows: eight echinoids, 11 ophiuroids, three asteroids and five holothuroids.
Later, Boada (1970) conducted a general study on the taxonomy of echinoderms,
but focused in the zone near Cumaná. Belmonte (1985) studied the asteroids,
echinoids and ophiuroids present in Margarita Island, while Amaro (2009) made a
revision of the echinoderms of the Gulf of Cariaco, and reported 50 species, nine
of which belonged to the Class Asteroidea, 17 Ophiuroidea, 12 Echinoidea and 12
Holothuroidea.
Perhaps the holothuroid has been the most highly studied echinoderm group of
Venezuela (Mago 1971; Martínez 1971, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1986, 1987a, b, 1988,
1989, 1991a, b; Martínez and Mago 1975), particularly due to their commercial
and ecologic interest. In what concerns to the remaining classes, Martínez (1969)
evaluated organisms belonging to the Family Brissidae (Class Echinoidea); while
Flores and Martínez (1970) described the status of the Family Goniasteridae (Class
Asteroidea) and Francisco and Pauls (2008) made a bibliographic compilation of
the Order Clypeasteroida (Class Echinoidea) reporting ten species, six of which
belong to the Family Clypeasteridae and four to the Family Mellitidae.
7 Echinoderms from Venezuela
239
Along the Venezuelan coast there are few studies pertaining to species of the
Phylum Echinodermata, and most have focused mainly on the northern Caribbean
Sea region. Studies made in the Atlantic region have been financed by the
Venezuelan oil industry (PDVSA) and include the Environmental Base Line of the
Platform in the Orinoco River delta (Martín et al. 2007) and the Venezuelan
Atlantic Front (Gómez et al. 2005).
7.2.1 Taxonomy
The first studies dealing with the Phylum Echinodermata (Families: Astropectinidae, Luidiidae and Echinasteridae) in Venezuela, came from the Belgian research
cruise ‘‘Mercator’’ between 1935 and 1936, which followed a trajectory between
Florida and Venezuela (Engel et al. 1960). Furthermore, Ummels (1963) and
Jangoux (1978) published studies on asteroids where they incorporated locations
from the country.
At a regional level, the work on echinoderm taxonomy was initiated in the
1960s with the publication of Zoppi de Roa (1967), who made an exhaustive
identification of the species belonging to the different classes along the Venezuelan
coast, from where she reported 65 species. On the other hand, Work (1969)
reported 27 species for Los Roques Archipelago National Park distributed as
follows: eight echinoids, 11 ophiuroids, three asteroids and five holothuroids.
Later, Boada (1970) conducted a general study on the taxonomy of echinoderms,
but focused in the zone near Cumaná. Belmonte (1985) studied the asteroids,
echinoids and ophiuroids present in Margarita Island, while Amaro (2009) made a
revision of the echinoderms of the Gulf of Cariaco, and reported 50 species, nine
of which belonged to the Class Asteroidea, 17 Ophiuroidea, 12 Echinoidea and 12
Holothuroidea.
Perhaps the holothuroid has been the most highly studied echinoderm group of
Venezuela (Mago 1971; Martínez 1971, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1986, 1987a, b, 1988,
1989, 1991a, b; Martínez and Mago 1975), particularly due to their commercial
and ecologic interest. In what concerns to the remaining classes, Martínez (1969)
evaluated organisms belonging to the Family Brissidae (Class Echinoidea); while
Flores and Martínez (1970) described the status of the Family Goniasteridae (Class
Asteroidea) and Francisco and Pauls (2008) made a bibliographic compilation of
the Order Clypeasteroida (Class Echinoidea) reporting ten species, six of which
belong to the Family Clypeasteridae and four to the Family Mellitidae.
7 Echinoderms from Venezuela
239