the distal arms in both new species.Moreover, they suggested the hooks are used in
feeding.
Hendler (1988a) described Ophiolepis pawsoni, bringing to seven the number
of Ophiolepis species reported from the western Atlantic. The specimens were
collected on the seaward slope of the Belize Barrier Reef where it occurs simpatrically with O. gemma. Hendler (1988a) also included a key to the species of the
genus Ophiolepis that comprises three groups based on different morphology of
the disk, arms, and central rosette.
Hendler and Pawson (2000) made an exhaustive description of the echinoderms
present at several localities in Belize and reported the presence of more than 90
species, mostly from barrier reefs localities (including Carrie Bow, Rhomboidal
and Pelican Cays). They described the environments and gave some information
about the natural history of the species. Most of this information is also present in
the compilation of echinoderms of the Caribbean by Hendler et al. (1995).
Between 1935 and 1978, research vessels visited the Caribbean coast: RV
Leonidas (1935), RV Oregon (1962, 1967), RV Oregon II (1970), RV Alaminos
(1970), RV Pillsbury (1971), RV Pescanica 25 (1974) and RV Alpa Helix (1977).
These expeditions had several collection stations in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa
Rica and Panama. No scientific accounts of the echinoderms collected were
published. Most of the specimens are deposited at the National Museum of Natural
History, Smithsonian Institution, at Washington, DC. More recently those species
are reported by Alvarado (2011).
From 1867 to 2011, 230 papers related to echinoderms in CA (including
Panama) have been published (Fig. 3.2). Between 1860 and 1970, there were less
than ten publications per decade (Fig. 3.2a). Most of those publications are related
to expedition’s reports and monographs of specific groups. Their contribution was
enormous, setting the foundations for future research, describing the majority of
species that nowadays we know for CA. The last four decades (1970–2011) have
been the most productive in terms of numbers of publications. This period was not
only dedicated to describing new species, but also their relationship with their
habitat, biological processes, reproduction, evolution, and their relationship with
disturbances like the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. In these four decades echinoderm research in the region was greatly advanced by (1) the Smithsonian
Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama with their laboratories since 1960s
in Naos, Punta Galeta and Bocas del Toro (Robertson et al. 2009), (2) the Carrie
Bow Cay Marine Field Station that was established in 1972 by the Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History (Rützler 2009), and (3) the Marine Science
and Limnology Research Center (Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias del Mar y
Limnología-CIMAR) at the University of Costa Rica that was established in 1979
(Cortés 2009). The research was carried out mostly by Gordon Hendler, Peter W.
Glynn and Harilaos Lessios, and they without any doubt were the pioneers in the
study of echinoderm ecology and evolution in CA and established the base line for
future research. The effect of the presence of these institutions is evident in the
number of publications per country in CA. Panama (92), Belize (49) and Costa
Rica (39) published most of these, with only 13 publications for the remaining
3 Central America Echinoderms: Diversity, Ecology and Future Perspectives
73
feeding.
Hendler (1988a) described Ophiolepis pawsoni, bringing to seven the number
of Ophiolepis species reported from the western Atlantic. The specimens were
collected on the seaward slope of the Belize Barrier Reef where it occurs simpatrically with O. gemma. Hendler (1988a) also included a key to the species of the
genus Ophiolepis that comprises three groups based on different morphology of
the disk, arms, and central rosette.
Hendler and Pawson (2000) made an exhaustive description of the echinoderms
present at several localities in Belize and reported the presence of more than 90
species, mostly from barrier reefs localities (including Carrie Bow, Rhomboidal
and Pelican Cays). They described the environments and gave some information
about the natural history of the species. Most of this information is also present in
the compilation of echinoderms of the Caribbean by Hendler et al. (1995).
Between 1935 and 1978, research vessels visited the Caribbean coast: RV
Leonidas (1935), RV Oregon (1962, 1967), RV Oregon II (1970), RV Alaminos
(1970), RV Pillsbury (1971), RV Pescanica 25 (1974) and RV Alpa Helix (1977).
These expeditions had several collection stations in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa
Rica and Panama. No scientific accounts of the echinoderms collected were
published. Most of the specimens are deposited at the National Museum of Natural
History, Smithsonian Institution, at Washington, DC. More recently those species
are reported by Alvarado (2011).
From 1867 to 2011, 230 papers related to echinoderms in CA (including
Panama) have been published (Fig. 3.2). Between 1860 and 1970, there were less
than ten publications per decade (Fig. 3.2a). Most of those publications are related
to expedition’s reports and monographs of specific groups. Their contribution was
enormous, setting the foundations for future research, describing the majority of
species that nowadays we know for CA. The last four decades (1970–2011) have
been the most productive in terms of numbers of publications. This period was not
only dedicated to describing new species, but also their relationship with their
habitat, biological processes, reproduction, evolution, and their relationship with
disturbances like the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. In these four decades echinoderm research in the region was greatly advanced by (1) the Smithsonian
Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama with their laboratories since 1960s
in Naos, Punta Galeta and Bocas del Toro (Robertson et al. 2009), (2) the Carrie
Bow Cay Marine Field Station that was established in 1972 by the Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History (Rützler 2009), and (3) the Marine Science
and Limnology Research Center (Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias del Mar y
Limnología-CIMAR) at the University of Costa Rica that was established in 1979
(Cortés 2009). The research was carried out mostly by Gordon Hendler, Peter W.
Glynn and Harilaos Lessios, and they without any doubt were the pioneers in the
study of echinoderm ecology and evolution in CA and established the base line for
future research. The effect of the presence of these institutions is evident in the
number of publications per country in CA. Panama (92), Belize (49) and Costa
Rica (39) published most of these, with only 13 publications for the remaining
3 Central America Echinoderms: Diversity, Ecology and Future Perspectives
73