On Mellitella stokesii and Amphipholis geminata (Echinodermata), from an intertidal flat in the upper Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific, Costa Rica

Vargas, José A.; Solano, Sylvia

doi:10.15517/rbt.v59i1.3189

Cited by 5 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…More recent studies have also shown high densities in species belonging to other genera, such as Scaphechinus mirabilis from Japan (30 inds./m 2 , Matsuda et al. 2008; 160–320 inds./m 2 , Takeda 2008), or Mellitella stokesii from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica (35 inds./m 2 , Vargas & Solano 2011). Dense clypeasteroid beds may persist in the same place on the seafloor for several years, even decades (Chia 1969; Merrill & Hobson 1970; Birkeland & Chia 1971; Takeda 2008), exceeding the life expectancy of the individual sand dollars, which has been estimated in 5–9 years depending on species (Birkeland & Chia 1971; Smith 1984; Steimle 1989).…”

Section: Discussion and Taphonomic Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 93%

A taphonomic approach to the genetic interpretation of clypeasteroid accumulations from the Miocene of Tarragona, NE Spain

Belaústegui

Nebelsick

Gibert

et al. 2012

LET

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Martinell, J. 2012: A taphonomic approach to the genetic interpretation of clypeasteroid accumulations from the Miocene of Tarragona, NE Spain. Lethaia, Vol. 45, Clypeasteroid accumulations are common in Cenozoic shallow marine sediments, particularly in the Neogene, as they are also in analogue modern environments. In this article, four clypeasteroid accumulations from Miocene (Serravallian) shallow marine carbonates of the El Camp de Tarragona Basin (NE Spain) are studied. Two of them are dominated by flat-shaped Parascutella, whereas the other two consist exclusively of bellshaped Clypeaster. The combination of the taphonomic analysis of the tests, the palaeoecological and taphonomic information provided by the associated fossils, and the stratigraphical and sedimentological context of each one of these beds allows interpreting them as autochthonous ⁄ parautochthonous accumulations resulting from in situ reworking in moderate energy settings, except for one that constitutes a true sand dollar coquina deposited by a storm event. This contribution explores the potential of thorough taphonomic analysis of marine invertebrate skeletal concentrations and substantiates the importance of clypeasteroid echinoids as producers of shell beds in the Neogene. h

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Section: Discussion and Taphonomic Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 93%

A taphonomic approach to the genetic interpretation of clypeasteroid accumulations from the Miocene of Tarragona, NE Spain

Belaústegui

Nebelsick

Gibert

et al. 2012

LET

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“…On average, the sediments at the flat were 65% sand and about 35% mud. Other information on environmental data is included in Vargas (1987Vargas ( ,1988Vargas ( ,1989 and Vargas & Solano (2011).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From 1980 to 1983, an ecological survey was conducted in the Gulf of Nicoya estuary to provide baseline information on the Gulf in support of management policies. Many papers covering the fields of physical, chemical and biological oceanography were published (see references in Vargas & Mata 2004) making this embayment one of the better known tropical estuaries worldwide (Vargas & Solano 2011). These studies were followed by a three year survey of an intertidal 400m 2 plot in the mid upper estuary (Vargas 1989).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The intertidal survey methods were not specifically designed for the detection of the abundance pattern of any particular species (Vargas & Solano 2011). However, the gastropods Natica unifasciata, Nassarius luteostomus, Turbonilla sp., and Costoanachis rugosa, and the bivalves, Tellina rubescens, Tagelus bourgeoisae, Leukoma asperrima and Dosinia dunkeri, appeared regularly in the samples over the study period.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Molluscan assemblage from a tropical intertidal estuarine sand-mud flat, Gulf of Nicoya, Pacific, Costa Rica (1984-1987)

Vargas-Zamora¹,

Sibaja–Cordero²

2011

RBT

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The availability of data sets covering more than a year is scarce for tropical environments. Advances in hardware and software speed-up the re-analysis of old data sets and facilitates the identification of hidden data patterns. From February 1984 to April 1987 (49 sampling dates), core samples (17.7cm 2 , 15cm deep) were collected at low tide at a sand-mud flat in the mid upper Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific, Costa Rica. Predator exclusion experiments (cages 0.5x0.5x0.2m, galvanized wire, mesh size 5mm), were conducted at the site in 1985 (dry and rainy seasons sets). Samples were preserved with 5% buffered formalin in sea water stained with Rose Bengal, and washed after 24 hours on a 500 micron mesh sieve. The 1 120 cores yielded a total of 112 morphological species of which the mollusks were represented by 23 species, and included the bivalves Tellina rubescens, Tagelus bourgeoisae, Dosinia dunkeri and Leukoma asperrima, and the gastropods, Natica unifasciata, Nassarius luteostomus, Costoanachis rugosa and Turbonilla sp. The 23 species are indicative of a relatively rich sedimentary molluscan fauna. T. bourgeoisae had a seasonal oscillation, with higher abundances during the rainy seasons. T. rubescens was not seasonal, but presented an oscillation with peaks at about 1.5 year intervals. Many empty shells of Cosmioconcha modesta, lower number of N. luteostomus and a few of T. rubescens were found with boreholes by the predatory snail N. unifasciata. T. rubescens was not significantly more abundant inside or outside cages. T. bourgeoisae showed a significant increase within the caged areas. The numerical fluctuations of the mollusks became more important during the rainy season of 1985. Red tide outbreaks in the Gulf of Nicoya in 1985 may have had an impact on the molluscan populations.

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“…Information on environmental data is included in Vargas (1987Vargas ( , 1988Vargas ( , 1989a, Vargas & Solano (2011), and Vargas-Zamora & SibajaCordero (2011). In summary: sediment composition was on the average 65% sand and 32% silt+clay.…”

Section: Uncaged Sedimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crustaceans from a tropical estuarine sand-mud flat, Pacific, Costa Rica, (1984-1988) revisited

Vargas-Zamora

Sibaja–Cordero

Vargas-Castillo

2012

RBT

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Abstract:The availability of data sets for time periods of more than a year is scarce for tropical environments. Advances in hardware and software speed-up the re-analysis of old data sets and facilitates the description of population oscillations. Using recent taxonomic literature and software we have updated and re-analized the information on crustacean diversity and population fluctuations from a set of cores collected at a mud-sand flat in the mid upper Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific coast of Costa Rica (1984)(1985)(1986)(1987)(1988). A total of 112 morphological species of macroinvertebrates was found, of which 29 were crustaceans. Taxonomic problems, maily with the peracarids, prevented the identification of a group of species. The abundance patterns of the crab Pinnixa valerii, the ostracod Cyprideis pacifica, and the cumacean Coricuma nicoyensis were analized with the Generalized Additive Models of the free software R. The models evidenced a variety of population oscillations during the sampling period. These oscillations probably included perturbations induced by external factors, like the strong red tide events of 1985. In additon, early on 1984 the populations might have been at an altered state due to the inpact of El Niño 1982-83. Thus, the oscillations observed during the study period departed from the expected seasonality (dry vs rainy) pattern and are thus considered atypical for this tropical estuarine tidal-flat. Crustacean diversity and population peaks were within the range of examples found in worldwide literature. However, abundances of the cumacean C. nicoyensis, an endemic species, are the highest reported for a tropical estuary. Comparative data from tropical tidal flat crustaceans continues to be scarce. Crustaceans (total vs groups) had population changes in response to the deployment of predator exclusion cages during the dry and rainy seasons of 1985. Temporal and spatial patchiness characterized the abundances of P. valeri, C. pacifica and C. nicoyenis.

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On Mellitella stokesii and Amphipholis geminata (Echinodermata), from an intertidal flat in the upper Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific, Costa Rica

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

A taphonomic approach to the genetic interpretation of clypeasteroid accumulations from the Miocene of Tarragona, NE Spain

A taphonomic approach to the genetic interpretation of clypeasteroid accumulations from the Miocene of Tarragona, NE Spain

Molluscan assemblage from a tropical intertidal estuarine sand-mud flat, Gulf of Nicoya, Pacific, Costa Rica (1984-1987)

Crustaceans from a tropical estuarine sand-mud flat, Pacific, Costa Rica, (1984-1988) revisited

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