Estudio de la estrella de mar “Corona de espinas” Acanthaster planci (Echinodermata: Acanthasteridae) en las comunidades arrecifales del Golfo de California
Hernández Morales, A. (2018). Estudio de la estrella de mar “Corona de espinas” Acanthaster planci (Echinodermata: Acanthasteridae) en las comunidades arrecifales del Golfo de California. MSc Thesis. Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas: La Paz. 71 pp.
|  |
| Available in | Author |
|
Document type: Dissertation
|
| Keywords |
Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]; Acanthasteridae [WoRMS]
|
| Abstract |
In Mexico, the starfish Acanthaster planci is a common inhabitant in the reef communities along the Gulf of California, but little is known about it. The aim of this work was to describe Acanthaster planci in the reef areas of the Gulf of California. The study was conducted through the collection of data (2004-2017) obtained from biological monitoring of reef invertebrates and photographic records from various institutions and civil organizations. The abundance of 1,075 band transects (25 x 2 m) was estimated. A record of the disc diameter of 493 individuals was made in the years 2008, 2015, 2016 and 2017 with a flexible measuring tape (1 mm precision) and by measurements with photographs. To describe the type of feeding of A. planci, aphotographic analysis was made, where the organisms from which it feeds were identified up to the possible taxonomic level. There were 2,680 individuals, with an average density of 0.050 + 0.001 ind / m2, where the minimum and maximum density were presented during 2016 and 2006, respectively. This density pattern of less than one organism per square meter is common among conspicuous reef echinoderms. The average disc diameter was 17.28 ± 0.22 cm. The smallest star (4.5 cm) was recorded at 27°N, while the largest (36 cm) at 24°N. The larger individuals are concentrated in the southern part (24°-26°N) of the Gulf, while in the North (26°-28°N) smaller individuals are presented, which indicates that as the latitude increases the size of the organisms decreases. A total of 66 individuals were identified feeding on a varied diet, with a greater preference for hermatypic corals such as Pocillopora spp. and Porites panamensis, followed by turf algae. In the Gulf of California Acanthaster planci is a reef echinoderm with densities that have remained relatively stable over time, with a general diet that consists mainly of hermatypic corals, but also of other invertebrates and even algae. |
|
