Coral reefs of the southern Gulf of Mexico

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (11) ◽  
pp. 45-6142-45-6142
Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5031 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-112
Author(s):  
DIANA UGALDE ◽  
JULIO C.C. FERNANDEZ ◽  
PATRICIA GÓMEZ ◽  
GISELE LÔBO-HAJDU ◽  
NUNO SIMÕES

Until now, 127 species of marine sponges have been recorded in the southern Gulf of Mexico (SGoM). In this study, we describe the sponge fauna recorded on 16 coral reefs of the SGoM, defined as the Mexican waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), during a period from 2005 to 2019. We report 80 sponge species, including 34 first geographic records for the southern GoM region. The latter are fully described and illustrated, taking into account 24 that represent new records for the GoM: Agelas conifera, Agelas sventres, Agelas wiedenmayeri, Prosuberites carriebowensis, Desmanthus meandroides, Cliona aprica, Cliona dioryssa, Placospongia ruetzleri, Haliclona (Gellius) megasclera, Haliclona (Reniera) aff. portroyalensis, Neopetrosia proxima, Xestospongia arenosa, Calyx podatypa, Shiphonodictyon xamaycaense, Acarnus innominatus, Iotrochota arenosa, Polymastia tenax, Svenzea cristinae, Svenzea flava, Svenzea tubulosa, Svenzea zeai, Timea stenosclera, Stellettinopsis megastylifera, Suberea flavolivescens. The present work highlights the understimated and remarkable diversity of reef-associated sponges within the Campeche Bank Coral reef systems. Present work data was compiled with existing published information to produce an updated list of 161 known sponges in the southern GoM.  


2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (8) ◽  
pp. 2095-2097 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Aguilar-Perera ◽  
Luis Quijano-Puerto ◽  
Evelyn Carrillo-Flota ◽  
Ernest H. Williams ◽  
Lucy Bunkley-Williams

Two female snapper-choking isopods Cymothoa excisa (body length 11 and 14 mm) were in the buccal cavity of two invasive lionfish Pterois volitans (total length 294 and 301 mm) collected in Alacranes Reef, southern Gulf of Mexico. This is the first record of C. excisa parasitizing invasive lionfish P. volitans in coral reefs of the Western Atlantic, where these isopods appear to have infected the host through adult prey-predator transfer.


ZooKeys ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 341 ◽  
pp. 77-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo González-Muñoz ◽  
Nuno Simões ◽  
José Luis Tello-Musi ◽  
Estefanía Rodríguez

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 832 ◽  
pp. 1-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilian A. Palomino-Alvarez ◽  
Rosana Moreira Rocha ◽  
Nuno Simões

This study is the first inventory of ascidians from shallow waters (0–25 m) of coastal and reef habitats in the southern Gulf of Mexico where ascidian diversity is poorly known. Sampled environments in 14 locations (38 sites) with 134 samples collected from 2015 to 2017 included coral reefs, coastal lagoons, mangroves, seagrass, ports, and artificial platforms. The 31 identified species comprise 19 genera and 13 families. Ten species are newly reported in the Gulf of Mexico:AscidiapanamensisBonnet & Rocha, 2011;Ecteinascidiastyeloides(Traustedt, 1882);CystodytesroseolusHartmeyer, 1912; Eudistomaaff.amanitum Paiva & Rocha, 2018;EudistomarecifenseMillar, 1977;EuherdmaniafasciculataMonniot, 1983; Euherdmaniaaff.vitrea Millar, 1961;Polycarpacartilaginea(Sluiter, 1885);Botrylloidesmagnicoecum(Hartmeyer, 1912) andDidemnumgranulatumTokioka, 1954. Two new species will be described separately (Clavelinasp. andPyurasp.). This study provides the first records for 26 species ascidians for the region as well as describes increased distributions of ten Atlantic species. Thus, our data provide a starting point for future ecological, experimental and taxonomic studies of ascidians of the Gulf of Mexico.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Ana Tovar-Hernández ◽  
María Elena García-Garza ◽  
Jesús Angel de León-González

The sabellid genera Anamobaea Krøyer, 1856 and Notaulax Tauber, 1879 are two of the most attractive polychaete worms in coral reefs. Anamobaea is represented by two Caribbean species and Notaulax with 24 species from around the world, six of them previously known to tropical America. During examination of fouling biota and sclerozoans from Mexico, Anamobaea orstedii Krøyer, 1856 was found in coral reefs from the southern Gulf of Mexico and three species of Notaulax were identified to the Mexican Pacific, two of them being new species to science. Anamobaea orstedii Krøyer, 1856 is first reported as sclerozoan of dead coral from the southern Gulf of Mexico. An amendment to the generic diagnosis of Anamobaea is provided, based on the presence of a higher number of skeletal cells than previously recorded; height, shape and exposition of the anterior peristomial ring; the non-fusion of dorsal collar margins to faecal groove; shape of collar chaetiger and abdominal chaetae and distribution and shape of radiolar ocelli. Notaulax californica (Treadwell, 1906) is reported as fouling in buoys and docks from the Gulf of California. Two new species of Notaulax are described: the former was found in hull and dock fouling from La Paz (Gulf of California) and the second one as sclerozoan of oysters from a dock fouling in Acapulco (south Mexican Pacific). In addition, reproductive features are described for the first time for A. orstedii which is a simultaneous hermaphrodite with female and males gametes found within the same segments of abdominal region. Oocytes develop synchronously and sperm morphology (spherical nucleus and rounded acrosome, four spherical mitochondria and a long free flagellum) suggest an adaptation to broadcast spawning and external fertilisation. Species of Notaulax here examined were gonochoric, with gametes distributed in abdominal segments.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 793
Author(s):  
Abigail Uribe-Martínez ◽  
María de los Angeles Liceaga-Correa ◽  
Eduardo Cuevas

Marine turtles are globally endangered species that spend more than 95% of their life cycle in in-water habitats. Nevertheless, most of the conservation, recovery and research efforts have targeted the on-land habitats, due to their easier access, where adult females lay their eggs. Targeting the large knowledge gaps on the in-water critical habitats of turtles, particularly in the Large Marine Ecosystem Gulf of Mexico, is crucial for their conservation and recovery in the long term. We used satellite telemetry to track 85 nesting females from their beaches after they nested to identify their feeding and residency habitats, their migratory corridors and to describe the context for those areas. We delimited major migratory corridors in the southern Gulf of Mexico and West Caribbean and described physical features of internesting and feeding home ranges located mainly around the Yucatan Peninsula and Veracruz, Mexico. We also contributed by describing general aggregation and movement patterns for the four marine turtle species in the Atlantic, expanding the knowledge of the studied species. Several tracked individuals emigrated from the Gulf of Mexico to as far as Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Bahamas. This information is critical for identifying gaps in marine protection and for deciphering the spatial connectivity in large ocean basins, and it provides an opportunity to assess potential impacts on marine turtle populations and their habitats.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4995 (3) ◽  
pp. 594-600
Author(s):  
MARCO VIOLANTE-HUERTA ◽  
LAURA SANVICENTE-AÑORVE ◽  
MARGARITA HERMOSO-SALAZAR ◽  
AURORA MARRÓN-BECERRA

Lack of knowledge of morphological variations during growth of amphipod crustaceans can result in misidentification of species. In this study, we advance the knowledge of morphological variations of juveniles of the monotypic genus Phrosina Risso, 1822 collected in the oceanic province of the southern Gulf of Mexico. The juveniles differed from the adults mainly in the morphology of pereopods 3 & 4 in that the carpal process is parallel to the propodus, also the rami of the pleopoda consist of only four segments, uropoda 3 are more lanceolate, and the uropoda bear a large prominent spine terminally. These morphological variations have not been described for the species previously. Therefore, the current observations enrich the description of P. semilunata in the early stages of growth and support the need for further taxonomical studiest that could help identify species at different stages of development.  


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