(Cortés 2009). Most of these expeditions did not publish accounts of their expeditions, but the species collected are recorded in the data base of the National
Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. The species
are recently reported by Alvarado et al. (2010).
On the Caribbean side, Devaney (1974) reviewed the first expeditions that
visited Belize. He indicated that the first research ship was the Pawnee I of the
Harry Payne Bingham Institute in April 1925, from which Boone (1928) described
two species of echinoids, three species of asteroids and eight species of crinoids
from Glover’s Reef. From the 1937–1938 Rosaura expedition, John and Clark
(1954) reported four species of asteroids, five species of ophiuroids, two species of
echinoids, and one species of holothuroids. Some of them from depths of more
than 914.4 m (500 fathoms). During the 1959–1960 Cambridge Expedition,
Stoddard (1962) made brief remarks on echinoderms in his comparisons of
ecological zonation (Devaney 1974). These expeditions were complemented with
the extensive taxonomic work carried out at Carrie Bow Cay (Kier 1975; Pawson
1976; Hotchkiss 1982; Macurda 1982).
According to Miller (1984), the asteroid family Ophidiasteridae is represented
by 13 species in the tropical western Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. For
four species, no new material has been reported from the western Atlantic since the
description of the holotypes. Miller (1984) collected specimens of Copidaster
lymani at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Thus, these are the first specimens reported for
western Atlantic since the holotype had been described from Florida. Miller (1984)
also included a key to the western Atlantic species of Ophidiasteridae.
During the 1980s, Gordon Hendler and a number of colleagues made several
studies on Belizean echinoderms diversity and distribution, and included the
descriptions, of at least, five new species of ophiuroids species. Hendler and Miller
(1984) described two new ophiuroid species from the western Atlantic: Ophioderma
devaneyi collected from the outer continental shelf and upper slope off Florida,
and Ophioderma ensiferum collected the reef slope of the Belize Barrier Reef, off
Carrie Bow Cay. Hendler and Littman (1986) examined the size distribution of 33
ophiuroid species from distinct substrata and reef zones located in four zones on the
Belize Barrier Reef. They related size-distribution and population density data to the
mode of reproduction and the biological interactions between the ophiuroids, and
their habitat in order to understand the biology of juvenile individuals and other reef
cryptofauna.
Hendler and Turner (1987) described two new Ophiolepis species from the
Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, O. gemma from deep-reef habitats and
O. ailsae from bathyal depths. Ophiolepis gemma was collected at Carrie Bow Cay
located on the seaward side of the Belize Barrier Reef, Barbados, and the Gulf of
Mexico. They found two brooding specimens from Belize that held embryos in
their bursae. They concluded that the occurrence of embryos at the same stage of
development in one specimen suggests synchronous brooding in the individual.
Ophiolepis ailsae was collected at several locations through the Caribbean Sea.
Bursae examination did not reveal indication of brooding. Thus the reproductive
mode of this species is not known. They described specialized hooked plates on
72
J. J. Alvarado et al.
Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. The species
are recently reported by Alvarado et al. (2010).
On the Caribbean side, Devaney (1974) reviewed the first expeditions that
visited Belize. He indicated that the first research ship was the Pawnee I of the
Harry Payne Bingham Institute in April 1925, from which Boone (1928) described
two species of echinoids, three species of asteroids and eight species of crinoids
from Glover’s Reef. From the 1937–1938 Rosaura expedition, John and Clark
(1954) reported four species of asteroids, five species of ophiuroids, two species of
echinoids, and one species of holothuroids. Some of them from depths of more
than 914.4 m (500 fathoms). During the 1959–1960 Cambridge Expedition,
Stoddard (1962) made brief remarks on echinoderms in his comparisons of
ecological zonation (Devaney 1974). These expeditions were complemented with
the extensive taxonomic work carried out at Carrie Bow Cay (Kier 1975; Pawson
1976; Hotchkiss 1982; Macurda 1982).
According to Miller (1984), the asteroid family Ophidiasteridae is represented
by 13 species in the tropical western Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. For
four species, no new material has been reported from the western Atlantic since the
description of the holotypes. Miller (1984) collected specimens of Copidaster
lymani at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Thus, these are the first specimens reported for
western Atlantic since the holotype had been described from Florida. Miller (1984)
also included a key to the western Atlantic species of Ophidiasteridae.
During the 1980s, Gordon Hendler and a number of colleagues made several
studies on Belizean echinoderms diversity and distribution, and included the
descriptions, of at least, five new species of ophiuroids species. Hendler and Miller
(1984) described two new ophiuroid species from the western Atlantic: Ophioderma
devaneyi collected from the outer continental shelf and upper slope off Florida,
and Ophioderma ensiferum collected the reef slope of the Belize Barrier Reef, off
Carrie Bow Cay. Hendler and Littman (1986) examined the size distribution of 33
ophiuroid species from distinct substrata and reef zones located in four zones on the
Belize Barrier Reef. They related size-distribution and population density data to the
mode of reproduction and the biological interactions between the ophiuroids, and
their habitat in order to understand the biology of juvenile individuals and other reef
cryptofauna.
Hendler and Turner (1987) described two new Ophiolepis species from the
Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, O. gemma from deep-reef habitats and
O. ailsae from bathyal depths. Ophiolepis gemma was collected at Carrie Bow Cay
located on the seaward side of the Belize Barrier Reef, Barbados, and the Gulf of
Mexico. They found two brooding specimens from Belize that held embryos in
their bursae. They concluded that the occurrence of embryos at the same stage of
development in one specimen suggests synchronous brooding in the individual.
Ophiolepis ailsae was collected at several locations through the Caribbean Sea.
Bursae examination did not reveal indication of brooding. Thus the reproductive
mode of this species is not known. They described specialized hooked plates on
72
J. J. Alvarado et al.