UNED Research Journal (e-ISSN 1659-441X), Vol. 13(2): e3921, December, 2021

 

 

SHORT COMMUNICATION

 

Soft corals (Cnidaria, Alcyonacea) from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific of Costa Rica: a checklist

 

José A. Vargas 1,2https://libapps-eu.s3.amazonaws.com/accounts/86186/images/iconoorcid_16x16.gif & Odalisca Breedy 1,2,3https://libapps-eu.s3.amazonaws.com/accounts/86186/images/iconoorcid_16x16.gif

 

1.        Universidad de Costa Rica, Escuela de Biología, 11501-2060, San José, Costa Rica. jose.vargas@ucr.ac.cr

2.        Universidad de Costa Rica, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR), 11501-2060, San José, Costa Rica.

3.        Universidad de Costa Rica, Escuela de Biología, Museo de Zoología, 11501-2060, San José, Costa Rica, odalisca.breedy@ucr.ac.cr

 

Received 27-IX-2021 – Corrected 10-XI-2021 – Accepted 22-XI-2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22458/urj.v13i2.3921

 

ABSTRACT. Introduction: The Gulf of Nicoya is the most important estuary on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Information on the presence of soft corals is scattered in the literature and in museum collections. Objective: To provide a list of soft corals reported for the estuary. Methods: We compiled the literature (2002-2020) and of the specimens deposited at the Museum of Zoology, University of Costa Rica. Results: Thirty species have been reported for the estuary (Clavulariidae, Gorgoniidae and Plexauridae). Most were collected on the eastern coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, and several species were described based on estuary specimens. Conclusion: The 30 species represent 79 % of those reported for Costa Rica. Despite this relatively high percentage, the sampling effort has been modest and other sites within the estuary should be explored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keywords: Octocorallia, Adelogorgia, Carijoa, Leptogorgia, Muricea, Pacifigorgia, Eastern Tropical Pacific.

 

RESUMEN. “Lista de corales blandos (Cnidaria, Alcyonacea) en el estuario del Golfo de Nicoya, Pacífico de Costa Rica.”. Introducción: El Golfo de Nicoya es el estuario más importante de la costa del Pacífico de Costa Rica. La información sobre presencia de corales blandos se encuentra dispersa en la literatura y colecciones de museo. Objetivo: Proporcionar una lista de corales blandos reportados para el estuario. Métodos: Recopilamos datos de la literatura (2002-2020) y de los especímenes depositados en el Museo de Zoología de la Universidad de Costa Rica. Resultados: Se ha informado de treinta especies en el estuario (Clavulariidae, Gorgoniidae y Plexauridae). La mayoría fueron recolectadas en la costa oriental de la Península de Nicoya y se describieron varias especies con base en especímenes del estuario. Conclusión: Las 30 especies representan el 79% de las especies conocidas en Costa Rica. A pesar de este porcentaje relativamente alto, el esfuerzo de muestreo ha sido modesto y se deben explorar otros sitios dentro del estuario.

 

 

Palabras clave: Octocorallia, Adelogorgia, Carijoa, Leptogorgia, Muricea, Pacifigorgia, Pacifico Tropical Este.

 

 

 

Information on the presence of soft corals in estuarine environments is scarce. The Gulf of Nicoya is the most important estuary on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica (Voorhis et al., 1983; Vargas, 2016). Information on soft corals from the Gulf of Nicoya is scattered in the literature and in museum collections. The availability of updated lists of species is essential in future studies aiming at the evaluation of the impact of local, regional and global stressors on the biodiversity of ecosystems such as the Gulf. Thus, the objective of this report is to list the species of soft corals collected in the estuary.

The species reported within an area north of a line across the estuary from Montezuma Beach on the western shore to Herradura Bay on the eastern shore (Fig. 1), were selected. The reviews by Breedy and Guzmán (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020) and Breedy, et al. (2009) were consulted. In addition, species from the Gulf deposited in the collection of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Costa Rica (MZUCR), were included.

 

Fig. 1. Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Left: Location of collecting sites for soft corals: 1. Montezuma, 2. Ballena Bay, 3. Tolinga Island, 4. Tortuga Island, 5. Negritos islands, 6. Cedros Island, 7. San Lucas Island, 8. Caballo Island, 9. Cortezas islets. 10. Herradura Bay. Right: A dry complete specimen of Leptogorgia alba, the most frequently collected and widespread species.

 

A total of 30 species of soft corals (Alcyonacea) are reported for the Gulf of Nicoya (Table 1 and Table 2) belonging to three families: Clavulariidae (Carijoa), Gorgoniidae (Eugorgia, Leptogorgia, Pacifigorgia) and Plexauridae (Adelogorgia, Heterogorgia, Muricea, Psammogorgia). The genera Leptogorgia and Pacifigorgia were the most diverse, with eight species each. Leptogorgia alba (Fig. 1) was the most common species. Several taxa have been described based on material collected in the Gulf of Nicoya (Table 1). Most collections were made by diving on the western shore of the lower estuary while only two species were recorded from sites in the mid upper estuary: Carijoa sp from the Cortezas islets and L. laxa from Caballo Island (Fig. 1, Table 2). A total of 16 species are represented in the collection of the Museum of Zoology (Table 2).

The study by Núñez-Flores et al. (2019) reports that the shallow water gorgonian fauna of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is made up of 111 taxa, with a peak of species richness between 7o N to 10o N including the coast of Costa Rica. Cortés et al. (2017) provides data for 11 localities along the ETP, from Mexico to Peru and the Galapagos and Coco islands. They found 38 octocoral (Clavulariidae, Gorgoniidae, Plexauridae) species for the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and higher numbers in Mexico (46) and Panama (64). C.  riisei and L. alba were the only two species found at the 11 localities. E. bradleyi, H. tortuosa, P. eximia, P. rubicunda and P. samarenis were reported only for Costa Rica. The 30 species found in this study in the Gulf of Nicoya represent 79% of those for the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. This percentage is relatively high despite the modest sampling effort that has focused on the eastern coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. This coast has more open ocean than estuarine characteristics and salinities are higher (Voorhis et al., 1983) which may provide a suitable habitat for corals. The most recent collections were made nearly two decades ago. Thus, a new survey is needed in the estuary, particularly north of Herradura Bay and on the mid upper Gulf to obtain a better assessment of the soft coral fauna of this tropical embayment.

C. riisei has been reported as an invasive species growing on top of other soft corals such as L. alba and others (Sánchez & Ballesteros, 2014). However, we are not aware of this behaviour in the Gulf of Nicoya.

 

TABLE 1

Soft corals (Alcyonacea) reported from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary and included in recent taxonomic reviews of the genera1

 

Species

Catalog code, collection site, depth, year *

Adelogorgia osculabunda 2a      

UCR 750. Ballena Bay, 65 m, 1993, trawl 3

Eugorgia bradleyi

YPM 5147-5150. USNM 44206, 1931

Eugorgia daniana

YPM 5146, USNM 49387. San Lucas Island, 1930

Eugorgia nobilis

USNM 44207, 1931

Heterogorgia tortuosa

UCR 1854, 11 m, 2002

Heterogorgia verrucosa

UCR 1880, Tolinga islet, 20 m, 2002

Leptogorgia alba

MCZ 7008, 1866

Leptogorgia cofrini 2a,b

UCR 398A. Tortuga islands, 1.5 m, 1985

 

UCR 398B. MCZ 62065. Tolinga Islet, 2 m, 2000

 

UCR 1526, 129. Negritos islands, 11 m, 2002

Leptogorgia exigua

YPM 5155

Leptopgorgia diffusa 4

MCZ 7081. YPM 5151. 1866-1867

 

UCR 1582. Tolinga Islet, 15 m, 2002

 

UCR 1551. Punta Aguja, 15 m, 2002

Leptogorgia laxa

USNM 50615, 1952

Leptogorgia pumila

UCR 1587. Punta Aguja, 13 m, 2002

Leptogorgia regis

UCR 1594. 44-46 m, 2005, trawl 5

Leptogorgia rigida

UCR 1548, UCR 1667. Negritos islands, 6 - 12 m, 2002

Muricea hispida

USNM 49386. San Lucas Island, 1930

Pacifigorgia adamsi

UCR 488. Herradura Bay

Pacifigorgia eximia

USNM 44214, 49381

Pacifigorgia firma 2a

USNM 44215, 1931; USNM 49382, 1927

Pacifigorgia irene 2a

USNM 33611, 49379, 1927; UCR 487 Herradura Bay 1983

Pacifigorgia tabogae

USNM 44215

Pacifigorgia samarensis 2a

UCR 480. Herradura Bay, 9 m, 1983

Pacifigorgia senta 2a

MCZ 51923. Ballena Bay, 36 m, 1993, trawl 3

Pacifigorgia stenobrochis

UCR 771. Montezuma, 10 m, 1993

Psammogorgia arbuscula

MCZ 7009, 1866-1867, pearl divers

*Data from the museum catalogue label.

1 Data from: Breedy & Guzmán (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2020), Breedy et al. (2009), Breedy & Cortés (2014).

2a Paratype designated based on material collected in the Gulf of Nicoya.

2b Holotype designated based on material collected in the Gulf of Nicoya.                   

3 R/V Victor Hensen (Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany).

4 Gulf of Nicoya, type locality.

5 R/V Urraca (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama).

UCR: University of Costa Rica. YPM: Yale Peabody Museum. USNM: United States National Museum.

MCZ: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.

 

TABLE 2

Soft corals (Alcyonacea) from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary deposited in the collection of the Museum of Zoology, University of Costa Rica (MZUCR)

 

Catalog

Species

Locality and date *

478

Leptogorgia alba

Gulf of Nicoya, 1984

520

Muricea fruticosa

Gulf of Nicoya, 1967

605

Carijoa sp.

Upper Gulf, Cortezas islets, 1991

750

Adelogorgia osculabunda

Ballena Bay, 1993

837,838,839

Muricea fruticosa

Ballena Bay, 1993

928

Pacifigorgia senta

Ballena Bay, 1993

1526,1529,1605

Leptogorgia cofrini

Negritos Islands, 2002

1536, 1548

Leptogorgia rigida

Eastern tip of Negritos islands, 2002

1549

Pacifigorgia cairnsi

Eastern tip of Negritos islands, 2002

1550

Pacifigorgia firma

Eastern tip of Negritos islands, 2002

1582

Leptogorgia diffusa

Tortuga Island, 2002

1587

Leptogorgia pumila

Gulf of Nicoya, 2002

1594

Leptogorgia regis

Gulf of Nicoya, 2005

1602

Leptogorgia alba

Cedros Island, 2002

1603,1604,1611

Leptogorgia alba

Negritos islands, 2002

1606

Leptogorgia alba

East of Tolinga Islet, 2002

1667, 1727

Leptogorgia rigida

West and East Negritos Island, 2002

1728

Carijoa riisei

West Negritos Island, 2002

1729

Carijoa riisei

Cedros Island, 2002

1765

Leptogorgia laxa

SW of Caballo Island, 2001

1785,1826

Pacifigorgia rubicunda

Gulf of Nicoya, 2002             

1823

Pacifigorgia senta

Gulf of Nicoya, 2002           

1829

Pacifigorgia firma

Gulf of Nicoya, 2001            

1830

Pacifigorgia irene

West Negritos Island, 2002

2148, 2271

Leptogorgia laxa

West Negritos Island, 2002

2687

Pacifigorgia senta

Gulf of Nicoya, 2005           

2688

Psanmogorgia sp

East of Tolinga Islet, 2002

2701

Muricea fruticosa

Gulf of Nicoya, 2002            

3163, 3164

Carijoa riisei

Islets South of San Lucas Island, 1999

3165

Leptogorgia alba

Islets South of San Lucas Island, 1999

                     *Data from the museum catalogue label.

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

We thank Sergio Aguilar for preparing the figure and Harlan K. Dean for comments on the manuscript.

 

ETHICS, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND FUNDING STATEMENT

 

The authors declare that they have complied with all pertinent ethical and legal requirements, both during the study and in the production of the manuscript; that there are no conflicts of interest of any kind, and agree with the final edited version. A signed document has been filed in the journal archives. The contribution of each author was: J.V. Original idea, writing, editing. O. B. Data collection, taxonomic review, editing.

 

REFERENCES

 

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Breedy, O., & Guzman, H. M. (2005). A new species of Leptogorgia (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) from the shallow waters of the eastern Pacific. Zootaxa, 899(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.899.1.1

 

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