Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of <i>Parazoanthus</i>
Species of the anthozoan order Zoantharia (=Zoanthidea) are common components of subtropical and tropical shallow water coral reefs. Despite a long history of research on their species diversity in the Caribbean, many regions within this sea remain underexamined. One such region is the Dutch Caribbe...
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/5/190 |
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| author | Javier Montenegro Bert W. Hoeksema Maria E. A. Santos Hiroki Kise James Davis Reimer |
| author_facet | Javier Montenegro Bert W. Hoeksema Maria E. A. Santos Hiroki Kise James Davis Reimer |
| author_sort | Javier Montenegro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Species of the anthozoan order Zoantharia (=Zoanthidea) are common components of subtropical and tropical shallow water coral reefs. Despite a long history of research on their species diversity in the Caribbean, many regions within this sea remain underexamined. One such region is the Dutch Caribbean, including the islands of St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Saba, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, as well as the Saba Bank, for which no definitive species list exists. Here, combining examinations of specimens housed in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center collection with new specimens and records from field expeditions, we provide a list of zoantharian species found within the Dutch Caribbean. Our results demonstrate the presence at least 16 described species, including the newly described <i>Parazoanthus atlanticus</i>, and the additional potential presence of up to four undescribed species. These records of new and undescribed species demonstrate that although the zoantharian research history of the Caribbean is long, further discoveries remain to be found. In light of biodiversity loss and increasing anthropogenic pressure on declining coral reefs, documenting the diversity of zoantharians and other coral reef species to provide baseline data takes on a new urgency. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:53:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cd3f5dc331e4cdd88859a149771e4e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:53:41Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cd3f5dc331e4cdd88859a149771e4e72023-11-20T00:10:54ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182020-05-0112519010.3390/d12050190Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of <i>Parazoanthus</i>Javier Montenegro0Bert W. Hoeksema1Maria E. A. Santos2Hiroki Kise3James Davis Reimer4Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, JapanTaxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The NetherlandsMolecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, JapanMolecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, JapanMolecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, JapanSpecies of the anthozoan order Zoantharia (=Zoanthidea) are common components of subtropical and tropical shallow water coral reefs. Despite a long history of research on their species diversity in the Caribbean, many regions within this sea remain underexamined. One such region is the Dutch Caribbean, including the islands of St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Saba, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, as well as the Saba Bank, for which no definitive species list exists. Here, combining examinations of specimens housed in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center collection with new specimens and records from field expeditions, we provide a list of zoantharian species found within the Dutch Caribbean. Our results demonstrate the presence at least 16 described species, including the newly described <i>Parazoanthus atlanticus</i>, and the additional potential presence of up to four undescribed species. These records of new and undescribed species demonstrate that although the zoantharian research history of the Caribbean is long, further discoveries remain to be found. In light of biodiversity loss and increasing anthropogenic pressure on declining coral reefs, documenting the diversity of zoantharians and other coral reef species to provide baseline data takes on a new urgency.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/5/190Anthozoacoral reefsrecordsMacrocneminaBrachycnemina |
| spellingShingle | Javier Montenegro Bert W. Hoeksema Maria E. A. Santos Hiroki Kise James Davis Reimer Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of <i>Parazoanthus</i> Diversity Anthozoa coral reefs records Macrocnemina Brachycnemina |
| title | Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of <i>Parazoanthus</i> |
| title_full | Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of <i>Parazoanthus</i> |
| title_fullStr | Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of <i>Parazoanthus</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of <i>Parazoanthus</i> |
| title_short | Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of <i>Parazoanthus</i> |
| title_sort | zoantharia cnidaria hexacorallia of the dutch caribbean and one new species of i parazoanthus i |
| topic | Anthozoa coral reefs records Macrocnemina Brachycnemina |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/5/190 |
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