ophiuroid Ophioblenna antillensis from Carrie Bow and Wee Wee Cays. Humes
and Hendler (1999) described the presence of three copepods (Ophiosyllus latus,
O. reductus and Pseudanthessius deficiens) which are parasitic on four species of
Belizian ophiuroids (Ophioderma cinereum, O. brevispinum, Ophiocoma echinata
and Ophiocomella ophiactoides). Pseudanthessius deficiens live in O. cinereum
and O. brevispinum. The other two species of copepods are host-specific: O. latus–
Ophiocomella ophiactoides and O. reductus–O. echinata. One to four O. latus
occurred on 17–57 % of O. ophiactoides examined. These copepods generally
clasp the first or second arm joint near the edge of the disk. Hendler and Kim
(2010) described the presence of a parasitic metanauplius larva of thaumatipsyllid
copepods (Caribeopsyllus chawayi and Caribeopsyllus sp.) in Ophiothrix angulata
and Ophiactis savignyii in Carrie Bow. This parasitic larva used mandibular chelae
to grasp the host’s stomach wall. The larvae of C. chawayi were found only in
O. savignyi, and the larvae of Caribeopsyllus sp. was found only in O. angulata
living on Halimeda spp. Between 18–27 % of O. angulata were parasitized. Most
of the parasites were small compared to their hosts. Infected O. angulata tended to
be small and were both sexually mature and immature (Hendler and Kim 2010).
Hendler (2005) described two new species of ophiuroids from the Southern
Caribbean of Costa Rica and Panama, Ophiothrix cimar and O. stri were named in
honor of the Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología
(CIMAR) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) respectively.
Individuals or both species are cryptic and were found beneath coral rubble in
shallow water fringing coral reefs. Ophiothrtix stri was found also in the bore holes
of the sea urchin Echinometra lucunter, but the association was not obligatory.
Ophiothrix cimar was relatively more common than O. stri in back reef microhabitats, but neither species occurred in nearby lagoonal and mangrove habitats.
Both species are gonochoric and do not brood. Their eggs are of a size indicative
of abbreviated larval development. The gametes of O. stri developed into demersal
embryos that developed within a large, adhesive fertilization envelope. Hendler
(2005) also discussed their systematic affinities, and indicated that O. stri and
O. synoecina could be sister species with a greater systematic affinity to O. lineata
than to O. cimar. He also states that the reefs where the species were previously
observed have deteriorated because of environmental degradation and produced a
reduction of the populations.
Most recent research on Belizean ophiuroids involves genetic connectivity and
phylum diversity on a regional scale of the Caribbean. Richards et al. (2007)
assessed gene flow between Florida and Belize of the broadcast-spawing brittle
star Ophiothrix lineata. They concluded this species showed significant genetic
structure between Florida and Belize.
Pacific
Between 1987 and 1996, a series of studies of different benthic communities were
conducted on the mud flats at Punta Morales, Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica (Vargas
3 Central America Echinoderms: Diversity, Ecology and Future Perspectives
79
and Hendler (1999) described the presence of three copepods (Ophiosyllus latus,
O. reductus and Pseudanthessius deficiens) which are parasitic on four species of
Belizian ophiuroids (Ophioderma cinereum, O. brevispinum, Ophiocoma echinata
and Ophiocomella ophiactoides). Pseudanthessius deficiens live in O. cinereum
and O. brevispinum. The other two species of copepods are host-specific: O. latus–
Ophiocomella ophiactoides and O. reductus–O. echinata. One to four O. latus
occurred on 17–57 % of O. ophiactoides examined. These copepods generally
clasp the first or second arm joint near the edge of the disk. Hendler and Kim
(2010) described the presence of a parasitic metanauplius larva of thaumatipsyllid
copepods (Caribeopsyllus chawayi and Caribeopsyllus sp.) in Ophiothrix angulata
and Ophiactis savignyii in Carrie Bow. This parasitic larva used mandibular chelae
to grasp the host’s stomach wall. The larvae of C. chawayi were found only in
O. savignyi, and the larvae of Caribeopsyllus sp. was found only in O. angulata
living on Halimeda spp. Between 18–27 % of O. angulata were parasitized. Most
of the parasites were small compared to their hosts. Infected O. angulata tended to
be small and were both sexually mature and immature (Hendler and Kim 2010).
Hendler (2005) described two new species of ophiuroids from the Southern
Caribbean of Costa Rica and Panama, Ophiothrix cimar and O. stri were named in
honor of the Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología
(CIMAR) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) respectively.
Individuals or both species are cryptic and were found beneath coral rubble in
shallow water fringing coral reefs. Ophiothrtix stri was found also in the bore holes
of the sea urchin Echinometra lucunter, but the association was not obligatory.
Ophiothrix cimar was relatively more common than O. stri in back reef microhabitats, but neither species occurred in nearby lagoonal and mangrove habitats.
Both species are gonochoric and do not brood. Their eggs are of a size indicative
of abbreviated larval development. The gametes of O. stri developed into demersal
embryos that developed within a large, adhesive fertilization envelope. Hendler
(2005) also discussed their systematic affinities, and indicated that O. stri and
O. synoecina could be sister species with a greater systematic affinity to O. lineata
than to O. cimar. He also states that the reefs where the species were previously
observed have deteriorated because of environmental degradation and produced a
reduction of the populations.
Most recent research on Belizean ophiuroids involves genetic connectivity and
phylum diversity on a regional scale of the Caribbean. Richards et al. (2007)
assessed gene flow between Florida and Belize of the broadcast-spawing brittle
star Ophiothrix lineata. They concluded this species showed significant genetic
structure between Florida and Belize.
Pacific
Between 1987 and 1996, a series of studies of different benthic communities were
conducted on the mud flats at Punta Morales, Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica (Vargas
3 Central America Echinoderms: Diversity, Ecology and Future Perspectives
79