14.2 Echinoderm Research
14.2.1 Taxonomic and Inventories Studies
The study of echinoderms in the Caribbean was initiated at the end of nineteenth
and beginning of twentieth centuries, as part of the expeditions HMS Challenger,
RV Blake and US Fish Commission RV Albatross. During these expeditions many
marine organisms many marine organisms from shallow and deep waters were
collected in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cuba, Bermuda,
Tobago, Cayman Island, Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Venezuela, and
the coast of French Guyana. The main contributions have been the works of Clark
(1898, 1901a, b, 1919, 1933, 1941, 1942), (1939), Engel (1939), Cherbonier
(1959) and Engel and Aberson (1960). Not only taxonomic characteristics, but also
the morphological and ecological aspects of echinoderms were studied. Clark and
Downey (1992) was an important contribution to the study of sea stars in the
Caribbean Sea, including the Lesser and Major Antilles with the citation of 23
species. The most recent work is by Hendler et al. (1995), who produced an
identification guide and life history of 150 echinoderm species from the shallow
waters (0–33 m deep) of the Florida Keys, Bahamas and the Caribbean.
The first major report of marine biodiversity of Puerto Rico was done by Clark
(1901a), which was based primarily on the extensive collections made by the U.S.
Fish Commission steamer Fish Hawk in January and February 1899 and by Mr.
George R Gray 1900 collection near San Juan. It listed 87 species: three crinoid
species, 11 asteroid species, 49 ophiuroid species, 13 echinoid species and 11
holothurian species. This survey produced the first systematic list of marine
invertebrates and fish for the island.
The collections of echinoderms made by the New York Academy of Sciences in
1914 were reexamined in a new report (Clark 1921). The revised report contained
around 550 specimens. Eleven new species were identified in Puerto Rico. The list
was completed and reviewed three decades later by the same author (Clark 1933).
Several other studies on echinoderms have been done in Puerto Rico. For
example, Carrera (1974) studied the Class Ophiuroidea (particularly the Amphiuridae family) at La Parguera and found 17 new records for the island. Wolf
(1978) studied aspects of the biology of Astrophyton muricatum (Lamarck) at
Enrique, La Parguera; González-Liboy (1971) emphasized the echinoderms in his
study of the macro-invertebrates at the Maní beach, Mayagüez et al. (1976)
focused on the role played by the sea urchin Diadema antillarum (Philippi) on the
composition of corals and sea grass beds at Jobos Bay.
Recently, Benavides-Serrato (2006), based on a review of the literature,
museums revision and collections, made the most complete and current taxonomic
list of the shallow water (depth from 0 to 100 m) echinoderms from Puerto Rico.
One hundred and eight species were observed. Nine species, Davidaster discoidea
(Carpenter), Poraniella echinulata (Perrier), Ophioderma squamosissimum
440
S. M. Williams et al.
14.2.1 Taxonomic and Inventories Studies
The study of echinoderms in the Caribbean was initiated at the end of nineteenth
and beginning of twentieth centuries, as part of the expeditions HMS Challenger,
RV Blake and US Fish Commission RV Albatross. During these expeditions many
marine organisms many marine organisms from shallow and deep waters were
collected in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cuba, Bermuda,
Tobago, Cayman Island, Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Venezuela, and
the coast of French Guyana. The main contributions have been the works of Clark
(1898, 1901a, b, 1919, 1933, 1941, 1942), (1939), Engel (1939), Cherbonier
(1959) and Engel and Aberson (1960). Not only taxonomic characteristics, but also
the morphological and ecological aspects of echinoderms were studied. Clark and
Downey (1992) was an important contribution to the study of sea stars in the
Caribbean Sea, including the Lesser and Major Antilles with the citation of 23
species. The most recent work is by Hendler et al. (1995), who produced an
identification guide and life history of 150 echinoderm species from the shallow
waters (0–33 m deep) of the Florida Keys, Bahamas and the Caribbean.
The first major report of marine biodiversity of Puerto Rico was done by Clark
(1901a), which was based primarily on the extensive collections made by the U.S.
Fish Commission steamer Fish Hawk in January and February 1899 and by Mr.
George R Gray 1900 collection near San Juan. It listed 87 species: three crinoid
species, 11 asteroid species, 49 ophiuroid species, 13 echinoid species and 11
holothurian species. This survey produced the first systematic list of marine
invertebrates and fish for the island.
The collections of echinoderms made by the New York Academy of Sciences in
1914 were reexamined in a new report (Clark 1921). The revised report contained
around 550 specimens. Eleven new species were identified in Puerto Rico. The list
was completed and reviewed three decades later by the same author (Clark 1933).
Several other studies on echinoderms have been done in Puerto Rico. For
example, Carrera (1974) studied the Class Ophiuroidea (particularly the Amphiuridae family) at La Parguera and found 17 new records for the island. Wolf
(1978) studied aspects of the biology of Astrophyton muricatum (Lamarck) at
Enrique, La Parguera; González-Liboy (1971) emphasized the echinoderms in his
study of the macro-invertebrates at the Maní beach, Mayagüez et al. (1976)
focused on the role played by the sea urchin Diadema antillarum (Philippi) on the
composition of corals and sea grass beds at Jobos Bay.
Recently, Benavides-Serrato (2006), based on a review of the literature,
museums revision and collections, made the most complete and current taxonomic
list of the shallow water (depth from 0 to 100 m) echinoderms from Puerto Rico.
One hundred and eight species were observed. Nine species, Davidaster discoidea
(Carpenter), Poraniella echinulata (Perrier), Ophioderma squamosissimum
440
S. M. Williams et al.