content in the gonads of L. variegatus and E. lucunter. He found that the main
lipids present in both species were phospholipids and triglycerides, and in smaller
concentration free cholesterol, free fatty acids and ester of cholesterol. The higher
triglyceride and saturated fatty acid values present in the gonadic tissue of both
species coincided with their sexual maturity. The values of saturated fatty acids
were, in decreasing order of proportion, 16:0, 14:0, 17:0 and 18:0, while the
unsaturated fatty acids were represented by the mono-unsaturated fatty acids (16:1,
18:1 and 22:1) and the polyunsaturated fatty acids (20:5x3, 18:3 y 20:3). Díaz
et al. (1996) determined the total protein content and electrolytes in the hemal
lymph of L. variegatus and E. lucunter, finding that Na
+ concentration varied from
466.42 to 470.30 meq l
-1 , Cl
- from 372.78 to 739.2 meq l
-1 , and K
+ from 5.73 to
3.25 meq l
-1 . Total protein concentration varied from 0.53 to 0.58 %.
7.3 Diversity and Distribution
The information in this section has been compiled from various bibliographic
sources which include studies made in Venezuela (Ummels 1963; Zoppi de Roa
1967; Martínez 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1986, 1987a, b, 1988, 1989, 1991a,
b; Boada 1970; Flores and Martínez 1970; Mago 1971; Penchaszadeh 1973, 2003;
Martínez and Mago 1975; Bitter et al. 1980; Bitter and Penchaszadeh 1983;
Penchaszadeh and Lera 1983; Penchaszadeh and Molinet 1983, 1994; Bitter 1984;
Belmonte 1985; Noriega 1998; Francisco and Pauls 2008; Amaro 2009; Hernández
2010; Ortega et al. 2011) and in the Caribbean Sea (Jeannet 1928; Engel 1939;
Engel et al. 1960; Ummels 1963; Boffi 1972; Jangoux 1978; Hendler and Miller
1984; Hunte et al. 1986; Scheibling and Mladenov 1998; Donovan 2001;
Toral-Granda 2008) that provide information on echinoderm species found in
Venezuelan waters as well as the data base available in the web page of GBIF
(Biodiversity occurrence data provided by www.gbif.net, 2009-12-10). All echinoderm species from such studies have been placed in systematic order in the
appendix. The distribution of systematic groups as classes, families and species
was established considering the characterization of the Venezuelan ecoregions
(Miloslavich et al. 2005; Miloslavich and Klein 2008).
Two hundred and thirty four species of echinoderms have been reported for the
Venezuelan waters, with 97.87 % of them along the Caribbean Sea coast and only
2.13 % of them along the Atlantic coast (Table 7.1). For all coasts, the Asteroidea
is the most diverse with respect to the number of species (26.92 %), followed by
the Holothuroidea (22.65 %); while the Crinoidea is the least diverse (6.84 %). It
is important to emphasize, that in spite of a smaller diversity of species along the
Atlantic coast, Tethyaster vestitus (Say, 1825) (Asteroidea), Leptopentacta
deichmannae Domantay, 1953 (Holothuroidea), Paraster doederleini Chesher,
1972 (Echinoidea) and Amphiura otteri Ljungman, 1872 (Ophiuroidea) have only
been reported for this ecoregion.
7 Echinoderms from Venezuela
247
lipids present in both species were phospholipids and triglycerides, and in smaller
concentration free cholesterol, free fatty acids and ester of cholesterol. The higher
triglyceride and saturated fatty acid values present in the gonadic tissue of both
species coincided with their sexual maturity. The values of saturated fatty acids
were, in decreasing order of proportion, 16:0, 14:0, 17:0 and 18:0, while the
unsaturated fatty acids were represented by the mono-unsaturated fatty acids (16:1,
18:1 and 22:1) and the polyunsaturated fatty acids (20:5x3, 18:3 y 20:3). Díaz
et al. (1996) determined the total protein content and electrolytes in the hemal
lymph of L. variegatus and E. lucunter, finding that Na
+ concentration varied from
466.42 to 470.30 meq l
-1 , Cl
- from 372.78 to 739.2 meq l
-1 , and K
+ from 5.73 to
3.25 meq l
-1 . Total protein concentration varied from 0.53 to 0.58 %.
7.3 Diversity and Distribution
The information in this section has been compiled from various bibliographic
sources which include studies made in Venezuela (Ummels 1963; Zoppi de Roa
1967; Martínez 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1986, 1987a, b, 1988, 1989, 1991a,
b; Boada 1970; Flores and Martínez 1970; Mago 1971; Penchaszadeh 1973, 2003;
Martínez and Mago 1975; Bitter et al. 1980; Bitter and Penchaszadeh 1983;
Penchaszadeh and Lera 1983; Penchaszadeh and Molinet 1983, 1994; Bitter 1984;
Belmonte 1985; Noriega 1998; Francisco and Pauls 2008; Amaro 2009; Hernández
2010; Ortega et al. 2011) and in the Caribbean Sea (Jeannet 1928; Engel 1939;
Engel et al. 1960; Ummels 1963; Boffi 1972; Jangoux 1978; Hendler and Miller
1984; Hunte et al. 1986; Scheibling and Mladenov 1998; Donovan 2001;
Toral-Granda 2008) that provide information on echinoderm species found in
Venezuelan waters as well as the data base available in the web page of GBIF
(Biodiversity occurrence data provided by www.gbif.net, 2009-12-10). All echinoderm species from such studies have been placed in systematic order in the
appendix. The distribution of systematic groups as classes, families and species
was established considering the characterization of the Venezuelan ecoregions
(Miloslavich et al. 2005; Miloslavich and Klein 2008).
Two hundred and thirty four species of echinoderms have been reported for the
Venezuelan waters, with 97.87 % of them along the Caribbean Sea coast and only
2.13 % of them along the Atlantic coast (Table 7.1). For all coasts, the Asteroidea
is the most diverse with respect to the number of species (26.92 %), followed by
the Holothuroidea (22.65 %); while the Crinoidea is the least diverse (6.84 %). It
is important to emphasize, that in spite of a smaller diversity of species along the
Atlantic coast, Tethyaster vestitus (Say, 1825) (Asteroidea), Leptopentacta
deichmannae Domantay, 1953 (Holothuroidea), Paraster doederleini Chesher,
1972 (Echinoidea) and Amphiura otteri Ljungman, 1872 (Ophiuroidea) have only
been reported for this ecoregion.
7 Echinoderms from Venezuela
247