(Fig. 13.1) made collections between 142 and 270 m deep with three new records
for the deep-sea Dominican echinoderms: the crinoid Cenocrinus asterius (Linnaeus, 1775); the ophiuroid Astronicda isidis Lyman, 1872 and the echinoid
Conolampas sigsbei (A. Agassiz, 1878) (Rivas 1983). Studies carried out by
researchers from East Carolina University in Montecristi reefs (Luczkovich 1991)
extended the reports of Dominican crinoids with the record of Tropiometra carinata (Lamarck, 1816).
The information on Haitian echinoderms comes from old collections, that have
already been mentioned, and some more recent studies carried out by foreign
institutions. In June 1988, a detailed study at 13 stations on different ecological
zones (from the reef lagoon to the frontal reef) of the Arcadines coral reefs was
made by the World Wildlife Fund and the Conservation Foundation Wilcox
Associates, between 0.3 and 21 m depth (Wilcox et al. 1989). Twelve species of
common shallow-water echinoderms were reported. Hendler et al. (1995) summarized the echinoderms from approximately 17 old Haitian records.
With the implementation of the Hispabiota Marina Project (Herrera-Moreno
and Betancourt 2012) by Programa EcoMar, Inc. in the Dominican Republic a
bibliographical and taxonomic review of echinoderm species was done for the first
time, with a historical and insular approach (Herrera-Moreno and Betancourt
2004). A database was created with the results of collections of echinoderms from
more than 150 localities of the coastal zone, the shelf and the deep zone of
Hispaniola (Fig. 13.1). This project added 60 species to the national inventory of
CIBIMA (1992) confirming 123 species for Dominican coastal and marine zone. It
also compiled for the first time 79 species for Haiti. A total of 156 species for
Hispaniola (Appendix) is discussed in the present report.
13.3 Diversity and Distribution
The numbers of echinoderms in different taxonomic categories for the Dominican
Republic, Haiti and Hispaniola are summarized in Table 13.1. There are 22 species
of crinoids (18 for the Dominican Republic and eight for Haiti), subdivided into 17
genera, nine families and four orders. About five species of crinoids are found in
coral reef environments at depths to 45 m deep including those which, according to
Hendler et al. (1995), are more common and accessible to conventional scuba
diving. The remaining species are distributed below 100 to 1,033 m deep.
The list of asteroids has 33 known species (18 for Haiti and 21 for the
Dominican Republic) subdivided into 24 genera, 11 families and seven orders.
Downey (1973) in her review of the asteroids in the Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean described 95 species and noted that the asteroid fauna from Hispaniola
was practically unknown. The bathymetric ranges of the asteroid species known
from Hispaniola varies from 0.3 to 3,493 m deep. About eight species are distributed from the surface to 50 m deep primarily from the mangroves to the reef
front, with the remaining species found below 50 m deep.
13 Recent Echinoderms from Hispaniola
429
for the deep-sea Dominican echinoderms: the crinoid Cenocrinus asterius (Linnaeus, 1775); the ophiuroid Astronicda isidis Lyman, 1872 and the echinoid
Conolampas sigsbei (A. Agassiz, 1878) (Rivas 1983). Studies carried out by
researchers from East Carolina University in Montecristi reefs (Luczkovich 1991)
extended the reports of Dominican crinoids with the record of Tropiometra carinata (Lamarck, 1816).
The information on Haitian echinoderms comes from old collections, that have
already been mentioned, and some more recent studies carried out by foreign
institutions. In June 1988, a detailed study at 13 stations on different ecological
zones (from the reef lagoon to the frontal reef) of the Arcadines coral reefs was
made by the World Wildlife Fund and the Conservation Foundation Wilcox
Associates, between 0.3 and 21 m depth (Wilcox et al. 1989). Twelve species of
common shallow-water echinoderms were reported. Hendler et al. (1995) summarized the echinoderms from approximately 17 old Haitian records.
With the implementation of the Hispabiota Marina Project (Herrera-Moreno
and Betancourt 2012) by Programa EcoMar, Inc. in the Dominican Republic a
bibliographical and taxonomic review of echinoderm species was done for the first
time, with a historical and insular approach (Herrera-Moreno and Betancourt
2004). A database was created with the results of collections of echinoderms from
more than 150 localities of the coastal zone, the shelf and the deep zone of
Hispaniola (Fig. 13.1). This project added 60 species to the national inventory of
CIBIMA (1992) confirming 123 species for Dominican coastal and marine zone. It
also compiled for the first time 79 species for Haiti. A total of 156 species for
Hispaniola (Appendix) is discussed in the present report.
13.3 Diversity and Distribution
The numbers of echinoderms in different taxonomic categories for the Dominican
Republic, Haiti and Hispaniola are summarized in Table 13.1. There are 22 species
of crinoids (18 for the Dominican Republic and eight for Haiti), subdivided into 17
genera, nine families and four orders. About five species of crinoids are found in
coral reef environments at depths to 45 m deep including those which, according to
Hendler et al. (1995), are more common and accessible to conventional scuba
diving. The remaining species are distributed below 100 to 1,033 m deep.
The list of asteroids has 33 known species (18 for Haiti and 21 for the
Dominican Republic) subdivided into 24 genera, 11 families and seven orders.
Downey (1973) in her review of the asteroids in the Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean described 95 species and noted that the asteroid fauna from Hispaniola
was practically unknown. The bathymetric ranges of the asteroid species known
from Hispaniola varies from 0.3 to 3,493 m deep. About eight species are distributed from the surface to 50 m deep primarily from the mangroves to the reef
front, with the remaining species found below 50 m deep.
13 Recent Echinoderms from Hispaniola
429