Elasmobranchs observed in deepwaters (45-330m) at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica (Eastern Tropical Pacific)

Isla del Coco is an oceanic island 500km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It is a National Park and its marine fauna has been relatively well protected. The island is famous for its elasmobranch (sharks, rays and skates) sightings in shallow waters. Here we present a catalogue of the deepwater elasmobranchs observed with the DeepSee submersible. Five species of sharks, six species of skates and one ray have been observed between 45 and 330m depth. Triaenodon obesus, the white tip reef shark, was commonly observed between 80 and 301m, but only in the afternoons. Sphyrna lewini, the scalloped hammerhead shark, was observed as deep a 303m, but commonly between 45 and 90m, and close to the island. Odontaspis ferox, the smalltooth sand tiger shark, was observed between 82 and 316m. Echinorhinus cookei, the prickly shark, was observed between 91 and 320m. Rhincodon typus, the whale shark, was observed only close to the island, between 77 and 80m. Taeniura meyeni, the marbled ray, was observed only close to the island, between 45 and 90m. A Dasyatis sp., similar to the the diamond stingray, was observed only once close to the island at 60m; this is the first report of this genus at Isla del Coco National Park. Manta birostris, the giant manta, was only observed close to the island at 90m. Mobula tarapacana, the sicklefin devil ray, was observed between 60 and 326m, extending its maximum depth almost 10 times what has been reported. Aetobatus narinari, the spotted eagle ray, was observed only close to the island between 60 and 82m. Torpedo peruana, the Peruvian torpedo ray, was observed only once at 313m, and is the first record of this species from Isla del Coco National Park. Citation: Cortés, J., A. Sánchez-Jiménez, J.A. Rodríguez-Arrieta, G. Quirós-Barrantes, P.C. González & S. Blum. 2012. Elasmobranchs observed in deepwaters (45-330m) at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica (Eastern Tropical Pacific). Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 257-273. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

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A new Lepeophtheirus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae) from Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v60i3.28371 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 235-242

Author(s):

Eduardo Suárez-Morales ◽

Rebeca Gasca

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Costa Rica ◽

National Park ◽

Relative Length ◽

Tropical Pacific ◽

Costa Rican ◽

Tropical Region ◽

Nominal Species ◽

Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽

Genital Complex

Among the several groups of copepods that are teleost parasites, the siphonostomatoid family Caligidae is by far the most widespread and diverse. With more than 108 nominal species, the caligid genus Lepeophtheirus von Nordmann is one of the most speciose. There are no reports of this genus in Costa Rican waters. A new species of Lepeophtheirus is herein described based on female specimens collected from plankton samples in waters off Bahía Wafer, isla del Coco, an oceanic island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. The new species, L. alvaroi sp. nov., has some affinities with other congeners bearing a relatively short abdomen, a wider than long genital complex and a 3-segmented exopod of leg 4. it differs from most of these species by the presence of an unbranched maxillular process and by the relative lengths of the terminal claws of leg 4, with two equally long elements. it is most closely related to two other Eastern Pacific species: L. dissimulatus Wilson, 1905 and L. clarionensis Shiino, 1959. it differs from these species by the proportions and shape of the genital complex, the shape of the sternal furca, the relative length of the maxillar segments, the absence of a pectiniform process on the distal maxillar segment, the length of leg 4 and the armature of leg 5. The new species represents the first Lepeophtheirus described from Costa Rican waters of the Pacific. The low diversity of this genus in this tropical region is explained by its tendency to prefer hosts from temperate latitudes. Until further evidence is found, the host of this Lepeophtheirus species remains unknown. Citation: Suárez-Morales, E. & R. Gasca. 2012. A new Lepeophtheirus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Caligidae) from isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 235-242. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

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First record of Coronida glasselli (Stomatopoda: Coronididae) for Costa Rica (Isla del Coco National Park, Eastern Tropical Pacific)

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v64i1.23452 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 231 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carolina Salas-Moya ◽

Rita Vargas-Castillo

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

First Record ◽

Tropical Pacific ◽

Shallow Waters ◽

Rocky Reef ◽

Washington Dc ◽

National Museum ◽

Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽

Intertidal Zones ◽

Reef Environments

Stomatopods are a small group of marine and estuarine crustaceans that inhabit several marine ecosystems including deep, shallow waters, and intertidal zones. Six species from five families have been reported from the Park. We add Coronida glasselli Manning, 1976 from rocky reef environments at Isla del Coco. In the Eastern Tropical Pacific the species was reported only from Isla Gorgona, Colombia. There are species from Isla Uva, Panamá in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC.<div> </div>

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Movements of scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) at Cocos Island, Costa Rica and between oceanic islands in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0213741 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. e0213741 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Elena Nalesso ◽

Alex Hearn ◽

Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki ◽

Todd Steiner ◽

Alex Antoniou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Oceanic Islands ◽

Tropical Pacific ◽

Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽

Sphyrna Lewini ◽

Scalloped Hammerhead ◽

Cocos Island ◽

Hammerhead Sharks

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First record of the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae) from the Tropical Eastern Pacific

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v60i3.28403 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 275-278

Author(s):

Andrés López-Garro ◽

Ilena Zanella ◽

Geiner Golfín-Duarte ◽

Maikel Pérez-Montero

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

National Park ◽

First Record ◽

Eastern Pacific ◽

Juvenile Male ◽

Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽

Tropical Eastern Pacific ◽

Reef Shark ◽

Reef Sharks ◽

Carcharhinus Melanopterus

The blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus, is one of the most common Indo-Pacific reef sharks. On April 29, 2012, a juvenile male blacktip reef shark measuring 89 cm total length (TL), was incidentally caught during a research expedition in Chatham Bay, Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, located in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. This is the first record of the species from Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, and from the Tropical Eastern Pacific. Citation: López-Garro, A., I. Zanella, G. Golfín-Duarte & M. Pérez-Montero. 2012. First record of the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae) from the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 275-278. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

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New records of heterobranch sea slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v64i1.23449 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 205 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kimberly García-Méndez ◽

Yolanda E. Camacho-García

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

National Park ◽

New Records ◽

Tropical Pacific ◽

Costa Rican ◽

Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽

Sea Slugs ◽

The Pacific ◽

Molluscan Fauna ◽

First Time

The molluscan fauna of Isla del Coco has recently been well documented, but the heterobranch sea slugs, traditionally called “opisthobranchs”, remain poorly known. We report 13 new records, increasing the total to 40 species. Of the 13 newly discovered species, the following species had not been previously recorded along the Pacific Costa Rican mainland: Berthella californica (Dall, 1900), Peltodoris rubra (Bergh, 1905), Dendrodoris albobrunnea Allan, 1933, Doriopsilla cf. spaldingi Valdés & Behrens, 1998, Glaucus cf. marginatus (Reinhardt & Bergh, 1864), and Flabellina sp. Additionally, we report Peltodoris rubra, previously known from the Indo-Pacific, for the first time in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.<div> </div>

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Identifying nearshore nursery habitats for sharks in the Eastern Tropical Pacific from fisheries landings and interviews

10.1101/2021.02.03.429561 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Juliana López-Angarita ◽

Melany Villate ◽

Juan Manuel Díaz ◽

Juan C. Cubillos ◽

Alexander Tilley

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Tropical Pacific ◽

Small Scale ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Shark Species ◽

Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽

Small Scale Fisheries ◽

Scalloped Hammerhead ◽

Nursery Habitats

AbstractThe Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) comprising the coasts of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador, represents an area of high marine biodiversity that supports productive fisheries and acts as an important migratory corridor for many marine species. Despite its biological importance, the ETP is understudied and lacks sufficient data for science-based fisheries management and conservation decision-making. This study aims to consolidate understanding of the current and historical distribution of sharks and mobulid rays in the ETP. We used interviews of coastal community stakeholders to document traditional knowledge of shark and mobulid ray species and distributions. We also analysed small-scale fisheries landings data, where available, to quantify local exploitation patterns and the importance of sharks and rays in small-scale fisheries catches. All shark species landed in the dominant nearshore gillnet fishery show very low mean individuals weights (<5 kg), indicating that the fisheries are dominated by juveniles, captured. Aside from smooth-hounds (Mustelus spp.), the scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, is the most frequently landed shark species in the region by weight and number, with peaks in abundance between April - July. From 132 interviews in 51 communities across the three countries, and landings data from two small-scale fisheries sites, we identified 41 sites in 12 broad geographical zones as important shark nursery habitats. Of these sites, 68% were associated closely with large mangrove systems of the ETP, highlighting the importance of this habitat for shark life history. No patterns were seen in the occurrence or distribution of mobulid rays in coastal areas. Marine protected areas and responsible fishing zones cover 37% of identified nursery habitats in the ETP, 30% in Costa Rica, 48% in Panama and 30% in Colombia. These findings provide an important benchmark of the conservation status of sharks in the ETP and allow for the prioritisation of research and policy-making.

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The shallow-water fish assemblage of Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica: structure and patterns in an isolated, predator-dominated ecosystem

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v60i3.28407 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 321-338

Author(s):

Alan M. Friedlander ◽

Brian J. Zgliczynski ◽

Enric Ballesteros ◽

Octavio Aburto-Oropeza ◽

Allan Bolaños ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Shallow Water ◽

Fish Assemblage ◽

National Park ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Tropical Pacific ◽

Total Biomass ◽

High Biomass ◽

Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽

Water Fish

Fishes at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, were surveyed as part of a larger scientific expedition to the area in September 2009. The average total biomass of nearshore fishes was 7.8 tonnes per ha, among the largest observed in the tropics, with apex predators such as sharks, jacks, and groupers accounting for nearly 40% of the total biomass. The abundance of reef and pelagic sharks, particularly large aggregations of threatened species such as the scalloped hammerhead shark (up to 42 hammerheads ha-1) and large schools of jacks and snappers show the capacity for high biomass in unfished ecosystems in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. However, the abundance of hammerhead and reef whitetip sharks appears to have been declining since the late 1990s, and likely causes may include increasing fishing pressure on sharks in the region and illegal fishing inside the Park. One Galapagos shark tagged on September 20, 2009 in the Isla del Coco National Park moved 255km southeast towards Malpelo Island in Colombia, when it stopped transmitting. These results contribute to the evidence that sharks conduct large-scale movements between marine protected areas (Isla del Coco, Malpelo, Galápagos) in the Eastern tropical Pacific and emphasize the need for regional-scale management. More than half of the species and 90% of the individuals observed were endemic to the tropical eastern Pacific. These high biomass and endemicity values highlight the uniqueness of the fish assemblage at Isla del Coco and its importance as a global biodiversity hotspot. Citation: Friedlander, A., B.J. Zgliczynski, E. Ballesteros, O. Aburto-Oropeza, A. Bolaños & E. Sala. 2012. The shallow-water fish assemblage of Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica: structure and patterns in an isolated, predator-dominated ecosystem. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 321-338. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

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Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v60i3.28356 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 131-185

Author(s):

Jorge Cortés

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

National Park ◽

Tropical Pacific ◽

Oceanic Island ◽

World Heritage Site ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽

Heritage Site ◽

Unesco World Heritage Site ◽

Bony Fishes

Isla del Coco (also known as Cocos Island) is an oceanic island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific; it is part of the largest national park of Costa Rica and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island has been visited since the 16th Century due to its abundance of freshwater and wood. Marine biodiversity studies of the island started in the late 19th Century, with an intense period of research in the 1930’s, and again from the mid 1990’s to the present. The information is scattered and, in some cases, in old publications that are difficult to access. Here I have compiled published records of the marine organisms of the island. At least 1688 species are recorded, with the gastropods (383 species), bony fishes (354 spp.) and crustaceans (at least 263 spp.) being the most species-rich groups; 45 species are endemic to Isla del Coco National Park (2.7% of the total). The number of species per kilometer of coastline and by square kilometer of seabed shallower than 200m deep are the highest recorded in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Although the marine biodiversity of Isla del Coco is relatively well known, there are regions that need more exploration, for example, the south side, the pelagic environments, and deeper waters. Also, several groups of organisms, such as the flatworms, nematodes, nemerteans, and gelatinous zooplankton, have been observed around the Island but have been poorly studied or not at all. Citation: Cortés, J. 2012. Marine biodiversity of an Eastern Tropical Pacific oceanic island, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 131-185. Epub 2012 Dec 01

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