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

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.

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

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.

Energy flow structure and role of keystone groups in shallow water environments in Isla del Coco, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific

2019 ◽  
Vol 396 ◽  
pp. 74-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manon Fourriére ◽  
Juan José Alvarado ◽  
Jorge Cortés ◽  
Marc H. Taylor ◽  
Arturo Ayala-Bocos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Flow Structure ◽  
Energy Flow ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Eastern Tropical Pacific

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

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
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

<p>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: <em>Berthella californica </em>(Dall, 1900), <em>Peltodoris rubra</em> (Bergh, 1905), <em>Dendrodoris albobrunnea </em>Allan, 1933, <em>Doriopsilla</em> cf. <em>spaldingi </em>Valdés &amp; Behrens, 1998, <em>Glaucus</em> cf. <em>marginatus</em> (Reinhardt &amp; Bergh, 1864), and <em>Flabellina</em> sp. Additionally, we report <em>Peltodoris rubra</em>, previously known from the Indo-Pacific, for the first time in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.</p><div> </div>

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

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

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

2017 ◽  
pp. 257-273
Author(s):  
José Cortés ◽  
Astrid Sánchez-Jiménez ◽  
J. Alexander Rodríguez-Arrieta ◽  
Geovanna Quirós-Barrantes ◽  
Paula C. González ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
National Park ◽  
First Record ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Tiger Shark ◽  
Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽  
Marine Fauna ◽  
Scalloped Hammerhead ◽  
Manta Birostris ◽  
Spotted Eagle Ray

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.

Tidal fish connectivity of reef and sea grass habitats in the Indo-Pacific

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1287-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard K.F. Unsworth ◽  
James J. Bell ◽  
David J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Subsistence Fisheries ◽  
Tidal State ◽  
Sea Grass ◽  
Water Fish ◽  
Tidal Changes ◽  
Near Shore

The present study considered the influence of the tide on shallow water fish assemblages within the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia. Timed underwater visual observations were made across a gradient of intertidal to subtidal habitats from near-shore to reef crest at different tidal heights. Transient fish were found to dominate shallow water fish assemblages and the assemblage composition varied with tidal state. Fish assemblages were more diverse and abundant at higher tides in both coral and sea grass habitats, however, this was more pronounced within sea grass habitats. A tidal reduction from ≈2.0m to ≈0.8m (above chart datum) corresponded to a 30% reduction in fish abundance, while species richness also significantly decreased from 13.5 to 10.8 species per standardized timed observation. Fifty fish groups were reported from sea grass habitats with the most abundant being from the Engraulidae family and Lethrinus harak, which form important local subsistence fisheries. This research confirms the importance of tidal changes in structuring the fish fauna of Indonesian sea grass habitats and underlines the connectivity that exists between these habitats and nearby coral reefs.

scholarly journals Comparison of 1982–1983 and 1997–1998 El Niño effects on the shallow-water fish assemblage of the Patos Lagoon estuary (Brazil)

Estuaries ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Garcia ◽  
J. P. Vieira ◽  
K. O. Winemiller ◽  
A. M. Grimm
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
El Niño ◽  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Patos Lagoon ◽  
Water Fish ◽  
Patos Lagoon Estuary

Coral colonies in the eastern tropical Pacific: predation by Acanthaster cf. solaris

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 419
Author(s):  
J. C. Rodríguez-Vilalobos ◽  
A. Ayala-Bocos
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of California ◽  
National Park ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Scleractinian Corals ◽  
Historical Records ◽  
Eastern Tropical Pacific

The crown of thorns (CoTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) have not been reported as an actual threat to reefs in the Gulf of California; however, in the Espiritu Santo Archipelago National Park, we have evidenced massive predation over scleractinian corals. Its abundance is now over outbreaks threshold value and it is higher than historical records

Assessing the vulnerability of demersal elasmobranchs to a data-poor shrimp trawl fishery in Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific

2018 ◽  
Vol 217 ◽  
pp. 321-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tayler M. Clarke ◽  
Mario Espinoza ◽  
Raquel Romero Chaves ◽  
Ingo S. Wehrtmann
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Tropical Pacific ◽  
Eastern Tropical Pacific ◽  
Trawl Fishery ◽  
Shrimp Trawl
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