Rapid Assessment Program

A Rapid Marine Biodiversity
Assessment of the Abrolhos
Bank, Bahia, Brazil

Editors
Guilherme F. Dutra, Gerald R. Allen,
Timothy Werner, and Sheila A. McKenna

RAP
Bulletinof Biological

Assessment

38

Center for Applied Biodiversity
Science (CABS) at Conservation
International (CI)
Conservation International–
BrasilLaboratório de Estudos
Costeiros, Instituto deGeociências, Universidade
Federal da Bahia
Museu de Zoologia,
Universidade de São Paulo
Museu Nacional, Universidade
Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Instituto de Estudos do Mar
Almirante Paulo Moreira,Marinha do Brasil
Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim
Botânico do Rio de Janeiro
Ministério do Meio Ambiente
Parque Nacional Marinho dos
Abrolhos, Instituto Brasileiro do
Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos
Naturais Renováveis, Ministério
do Meio Ambiente

The RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment is published by:Conservation International
Center for Applied Biodiversity Science
1919 M St. NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036 USA
202-912-1000 telephone
202-912-0773 fax
www.conservation.org
www.biodiversityscience.org
Conservation International is a private, non-proﬁt organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501c(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code.
Editors: Guilherme F. Dutra, Gerald R. Allen, Timothy Werner, and Sheila A. McKenna
Design/production: Kim Meek and Glenda Fabregas
Map:
RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment Series Editors:
Terrestrial and AquaRAP: Leeanne E. AlonsoMarine RAP: Sheila A. McKenna
ISBN: 1-881173-94-1© 2005 by Conservation International
All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:
DOI: 10.1896/ci.cabs.2005.rap.[insert RAP #]The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any
opinion whatsoever on the part of Conservation International or its supporting organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Any opinions expressed in the RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment are those of the writers and do not necessarily reﬂect those of CI.
RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment was formerly RAP Working Papers. Numbers 1–13 of this series were published under the previous
title.
Suggested citation:
Dutra, G.F., G.R. Allen, T. Werner, and S. A. McKenna (Eds.). 2005. A Rapid Marine Biodiversity Assessment of the Abrolhos Bank,
Bahia, Brazil. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 38. Conservation International, Washington, DC, USA.
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation generously supported publication of this report.

Printed on recycled paper.

Table of Contents

Participants .................................................................. 4

Chapter 8 ..................................................................... 91

Organizational Proﬁles ............................................... 6

Crustacea of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil
Paulo S. Young and Cristiana S. Serejo

Acknowledgments ...................................................... 8

Appendices

Executive Summary .................................................... 9

Appendix 1 ................................................................. 96

Overview ..................................................................... 11
Chapter 1 ..................................................................... 19

Distribution and diversity of coral communities in the
Abrolhos reef complex, Brazil
Clovis B. Castro, Bárbara Segal, Débora O. Pires, and Marcelo
S. Medeiros

Chapter 2 ..................................................................... 40
Reef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil
Rodrigo L. Moura and Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho

Chapter 3 ..................................................................... 56
The status of target reef ﬁshes
Carlos Eduardo L. Ferreira

Chapter 4 ..................................................................... 67
Diversity of macrophytes on the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil
Marcia A. de O. Figueiredo

Reef anthozoan and hydrocoral taxa recorded for theAbrolhos Area
Clovis B. Castro, Bárbara Segal, Débora O. Piresand Marcelo S. Medeiros

Appendix 2 ......................................................................... 98

Checklist of reef and shore ﬁsh species recorded fromthe Abrolhos region
Rodrigo L. Moura, Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho, Ivan Sazima,
Carlos H. Flesh, Gerald R. Allen and Carlos E. L. Ferreira

Appendix 3 ............................................................... 126
Molluscs recorded during the Abrolhos RAP survey
Ricardo S. Absalão

Appendix 4 ............................................................... 134

List of polychaetes recorded during the Abrolhos RAP survey
Paulo C. Paiva

Appendix 5 ............................................................... 137

The characteristics of bottom sediments
Zelinda M. A. N. Leão, Leo X. C. Dutra and Saulo Spanó

List of crustacean species recorded from the Abrolhos region(including the nearby coast) indicating habitat, range within
Brazil, and general distribution
Paulo S. Young and Cristiana Serejo

Chapter 6 ..................................................................... 82

Maps and photos ..................................................... 157

Chapter 5 ..................................................................... 75

Soft-Bottom molluscs of the Abrolhos Bank
Ricardo S. Absalão

Chapter 7 ..................................................................... 87
Soft-bottom polychaetes of the Abrolhos Bank
Paulo C. Paiva

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

3

Participants* (participated in the ﬁeld survey)

Ricardo S. Absalão (Molluscs)
Instituto de Biologia — CCS, Bloco A - Subsolo
Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
21949-970 Brazil
E-mail: absalao@biologia.ufrj.br* Gerald R. Allen (Fishes, Photographer)
Tropical Reef Research Consulting
1 Dreyer Road
Roleystone, WA 6111 Australia
e-mail: tropical_reef@bigpond.com* Clóvis Barreira e Castro (Anthozoans, Science Team
Leader)
Departamento de Invertebrados
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20940-040, Brazil
e-mail: cbcastro@pobox.com*Guilherme F. Dutra (Marine Conservation)
Programa Marinho
Conservation International Brasil
Av. Anita Garibaldi, 1247 sala 202 – Ondina, Salvador, Bahia
40.210-904 Brazil
e-mail: g.dutra@conservation.org.br* Leo X. C. Dutra (Geology and Sedimentology)
Laboratório de Estudos Costeiros, Instituto de Geociências
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus de Ondina
Rua Caetano Moura, 123 Salvador, BA
40210-340 Brazil* Carlos E. L. Ferreira (Reef Fisheries, Fishes)
Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira
Marinha do Brasil
Praça Daniel Barreto s/n Praia dos Anjos, Arraial do Cabo, RJ
28.930-000 Brazil
e-mail: kadu@alternex.com.br

4

Rapid Assessment Program* Márcia A. de O. Figueiredo (Marine Plants)
Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro
Rua Pacheco Leão 915, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
22460-030 Brazil
e-mail:mﬁgueir@openlink.com.br* Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho (Fishes)
Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo
Caixa Postal 42494 São Paulo, SP
04218-970 Brazil
e-mail: roﬁlho@yahoo.com* Henrique H. Ilha (Oceanography)
Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos
Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos
Naturais Renováveis — IBAMA
Praia do Kitongo s/n Caravelas, BA
45900-000 Brazil
e-mail: henriquehorn@hotmail.com
Zelinda M. A. N. Leão (Geology and Sedimentology)
Laboratório de Estudos Costeiros, Instituto de Geociências
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus de Ondina
Rua Caetano Moura, 123 Salvador, BA
40210-340 Brazil
e-mail: zelinda@ufba.br
Marcelo S. Medeiros (Anthozoans)
Departamento de Invertebrados
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20940-040, Brazil
e-mail: semeraro@acd.ufrj.br* Rodrigo Leão de Moura (Fishes)
Programa Marinho
Conservation International Brasil
Rua das Palmeiras, 451 Caravelas, BA
45900-000 Brazil
e-mail: r.moura@conservation.org.br

Participants* Paulo C. Paiva (Polychaetes)
Departamento de Invertebrados
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20940-040, Brazil
e-mail: pcpaiva@acd.ufrj.br
Débora O. Pires (Anthozoans)
Departamento de Invertebrados
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20940-040, Brazil
e-mail: dopires@openlink.com.br* Bárbara Segal (Anthozoans)
Departamento de Invertebrados
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20940-040, Brazil
e-mail: bsegal@pobox.com
Cristiana S. Serejo (Crustaceans)
Departamento de Invertebrados
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20940-040, Brazil
e-mail: csserejo@acd.ufrj.br
Saulo Spanó (Geology and Sedimentology)
Laboratório de Estudos Costeiros, Instituto de Geociências
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus de Ondina
Rua Caetano Moura, 123 Salvador, BA
40210-340 Brazil
e-mail: spanos@lycos.com* Timothy Werner (Reef Ecology, Photographer)
Former address:
Marine Program
Conservation International 1919 M St., N.W., Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036 USA
Present address:
New England Aquarium
Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
Email: twerner@neaq.org
Paulo S. Young (Crustaceans)
Departamento de Invertebrados
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20940-040, Brazil
e-mail: psyoung@acd.ufrj.br

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

5

Organizational Proﬁles

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

Conservation International (CI) is an international, nonproﬁt organization based in Washington, DC. CI believes
that the Earth’s natural heritage must be maintained if future
generations are to thrive spiritually, culturally, and economically. Our mission is to conserve the Earth’s living heritage,
our global biodiversity, and to demonstrate that humansocieties are able to live harmoniously with nature.
Conservation International
1919 M St., NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036 USA(202) 912-1000 (telephone)(202) 912-0772 (fax)
http://www.conservation.org
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL BRASIL

Programa Marinho
Conservation International Brasil
Av. Anita Garibaldi, 1247 sala 202 - Ondina
40.210-904 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
e-mail: g.dutra@conservation.org.br
LABORATÓRIO DE ESTUDOS COSTEIROSINSTITUTO DE GEOCIÊNCIAS, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DABAHIAThe Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) is an institution devoted to education and research. The Laboratório deEstudos Costeiros (LEC), from UFBA Instituto de Geociências, has the institutional mission of integrate, motivate andsupport studies within the coastal zone of the Bahia Stateand the Northeastern Brazil.

6

Rapid Assessment Program

Laboratório de Estudos Costeiros, Instituto de Geociências
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus de Ondina
Rua Caetano Moura, 123
40210-340 - Salvador, BA, Brazil
http://www.cpgg.ufba.br/lec/
MUSEU DE ZOOLOGIAUNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO

The Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo(MZUSP) is an institution devoted to education andresearch based on the largest zoological collection in SouthAmerica (nearly 7 million specimens). The collections, scientiﬁc research and the public exhibits are used to promote
education at several levels, from elementary school to college.
Graduate courses in systematics and taxonomy are oﬀered bymuseum researchers and professors who are also engaged asadvisors of the Graduate Course in Zoology of the São Paulo
University.
Museu de Zoologia
Universidade de São Paulo
Av. Nazaré, 481 - CP 42494
04218-970 - São Paulo, SP, Brazil
http://www.mz.usp.br
MUSEU NACIONALUNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO DE JANEIROThe Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) is an
institution devoted to education and research. Researchers
from two UFRJ units, the Departamento de Zoologia andthe Museu Nacional, participated in the RAP survey. The
Museu Nacional is the oldest and largest natural history
museum in Brazil, being devoted to education and research
about the natural and social heritage of our planet, holding
natural history and anthropological collections, as well as apermanent public exhibit.

Organizational ProﬁlesDepartamento de Zoologia
Instituto de Biologia - CCS, Bloco A - Subsolo
Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão
21949-970 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

PARQUE NACIONAL MARINHO DOS ABROLHOSINSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DO MEIO AMBIENTE E
DOS RECURSOS NATURAIS RENOVÁVEISMINISTÉRIO DO MEIO AMBIENTE

Museu Nacional
Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Quinta da Boa Vista
20940-040 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
http://www.ufrj.br/museu

The Abrolhos National Park, decreed in 1983, was the ﬁrst
marine park created in Brazil. It comprises 882 km2 divided
into two separate areas: the largest section (771 km2) including the Abrolhos Archipelago and adjacent outer reefs, andthe reefs of Timbebas (111 km2), closer to shore.

INSTITUTO DE ESTUDOS DO MAR ALMIRANTE PAULO MOREIRA
MARINHA DO BRASIL

Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos/IBAMA
Praia do Kitongo s/n
45900-970 — Caravelas, BA, Brazil
http://www.ibama.gov.br/parna_abrolhos

The Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira(IEAPM) is the Brazilian Navy unit responsible for scientiﬁcand technological development within the various ﬁelds ofoceanography. The IEAPM aims to contribute for the development of models, methods, systems, equipments, materials
and techniques that allow the best knowledge and adequate
uses for the marine environment.
Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira
Praça Daniel Barreto s/n - Praia dos Anjos
28.930-000 - Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil
http://www.ieapm.mar.mil.br
INSTITUTO DE PESQUISAS JARDIM BOTÂNICO DO
RIO DE JANEIRO MINISTÉRIO DO MEIO AMBIENTEThe Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (JBRJ) is one of theoldest Brazilian institutions devoted to botanical sciences.
Scientiﬁc programs are integrated with the National policies
for the environment and for scientiﬁc and technologicaldevelopment. The institution also participates in international programs such as the Global Biodiversity Strategy(WRI/IUCN/UNEP) and the Global Biodiversity Assessment (UNEP/GEF), being also a scientiﬁc authority for theConvention on International Trade in Endangered Species ofWild Fauna and Flora - CITES.
Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro
Rua Pacheco Leão 915
22460-030 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
http://www.jbrj.gov.br/

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

7

Acknowledgments

The survey and the report were funded by the Henry and Smart Foundations. We also acknowledge the generous support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which is supporting
CI–Brasil´s Center for Biodiversity Conservation and the Marine Managed Area Science Program. We are very appreciative of the support and guidance of CI–Brasil staﬀ, particularly Luis
Paulo Pinto, Roberto B. Cavalcanti, Suely Ortega, and Heloisa Oliveira. We especially thank
Rodrigo Leão de Moura for his substantial contribution in editing this document. Thanks also
to Giacomo Abrusci for his assistance during the ﬁnal editorial stages
Researchers that participated in the expedition received grants and fellowships from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientíﬁco e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação Carlos Chagas
Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), Fundação de Amparo àPesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Fundação O Boticário de Proteção à Natureza,
Fundação Universitária José Bonifácio, and Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
We also thank the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis
(IBAMA) for research permits, Mr. Henrique Horn Ilha, manager of the Abrolhos National
Park, and Mrs. Bernadete, distinctive park ranger, for their guidance and support.
We would like to express our appreciation to the people and residents of the coastal localities
of Caravelas, Alcobaça, Prado, Cumuruxatiba, Corumbau, and Caraíva for their support andhelp during and after the survey.
We are indebted to the crews and owners of the vessels “Horizonte Aberto” and “Ina” forproviding a wonderful working environment at sea.

8

Rapid Assessment ProgramExecutive Summary

The Abrolhos Bank, in Southern Bahia, Brazil, consists of a 200 km-wide expansion of thecontinental platform, covering about 46,000 square kilometers. There are extensive mangroves,seagrass and algae bottoms, submerged and emergent coral reefs, and a group of small volcanicislands that comprises the Abrolhos Archipelago. The region’s coral reef biodiversity is thehighest registered in the Southern Atlantic, harboring large populations of Brazilian endemic
coral and reef ﬁsh species. Abrolhos is characterized by a relict coral fauna that appears to havea relatively higher tolerance to muddy conditions than that of other regions.
The Marine RAP survey team assessed 45 sites over an 18-day period (11–28 February 2000),
including 19 expert specialists from Brazilian universities, NGOs and the Brazilian Government. At each site, an underwater inventory was made of six faunal groups selected to serve as
indicators of overall biodiversity. The faunel groups included corals, ﬁshes, algae, polychaete
worms, molluscs, and crustaceans (the last three groups were analyzed only on bottom-sediment samples). In addition to the species inventory, bottom-sediment samples were taken in
the immediate vicinity of the reefs. Observations and data on reef ﬁsheries were also gathered
by a ﬁsheries scientist who evaluated the abundance and size of the main target species at eachsite. Additionally, the knowledge about species occurrences from other papers, were compiled
by specialists producing a more complete list of species for the region.
Nearly 1300 species were registered for the six biological groups surveyed, with thefollowing distribution: 39 anthozoans of 21 families; 266 ﬁshes of 79 families; 100 algae of 31
families; 90 polychaete worms of 37 families; 293 molluscs of 80 families; and 535 crustaceansof 116 families. Three algae, 17 mollusc and 11 crustacean species were registered for the ﬁrst
time in Brazil. Fifteen algae, 2 coral, 86 polychaete, 23 crustacean, and near 100 ﬁsh species
were registered for the ﬁrst time in the Abrolhos Bank. At least 17 mollusc and one ﬁsh species
were new to science and are being descripted. Other groups such as some polychaete worms
and crustacean (Ostracoda, Stomatopoda, Tanaidacea, Cumacea, Isopoda and Asellota) havealso potentially new species but the absence of taxonomists for them did not allow an accurate
estimation. Data gathered on abundance and size of reef ﬁshes indicates that the implemented
portion of the park shows positive signs of protection, at least for some families. Sand andmud are the most common bottom sediments surrounding the reefs surveyed in the Abrolhos
region. Coarse (gravel) sediments are relatively uncommon. High levels of siliciclastic-dominated sediments were not evident in most samples gathered during the RAP survey, probably
because bottom samples were collected close to reefs and therefore contained bioclastic material from reef organisms, rather than sediment transported from shore. Muddy sediments were
mostly of biogenic origin, probably resulting from bioerosional activities of various boringorganisms.
The major concerns for the long-term maintenance of the mosaic of marine andcoastal ecosystems of the Abrolhos Bank are the insuﬃcient representation of key biodiverse
areas, lack of implementation and compliance to the laws or regulations of the currently existing MPA network, overall ineﬃcient ﬁsheries management and the large industrial projects
related to the cellulose and oil industries. The following ﬁfteen recommendations are made to
deal with these threats. 1) Expand the representation of key biodiverse areas into the existing

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

9

Executive Summary

network of marine protected areas of the Abrolhos; 2) Implement the largest marine protected area of the Abrolhos Bank,
the Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos Environmental Protected Area;
3) Enforce the fully protected areas of the Abrolhos Bank;
4) Improve existing partnerships with governmental andnon-governmental organizations in order to integrate marine
and coastal resources management; 5) Develop ﬁnancial
mechanisms to support coastal and marine conservation;6) Enforce existing laws and enact more eﬀective laws to regulate ﬁshing activities; 7) Identify major sources of sedimentsthat reach coral reefs and determine the extent (and scale)that sedimentation is aﬀecting coral growth and recruitment;8) Conduct additional biological surveys in other areas of theAbrolhos Bank; 9) Implement additional conservation programs for endangered marine life; 10) Expand and integratecurrent environmental monitoring programs; 11) Implementa national environmental awareness campaign focusing on
marine ecosystems; 12) Strengthen community participationin conservation planning and management; 13) Regulate theoil and gas exploration, and mining; 14) Establish best-practices policies for companies operating in the region;15) Regulate tourism/whale watching. These activities will be
the main focus of CI and partners in the following years.

10

Rapid Assessment ProgramOverview

INTRODUCTION

This report presents the results of a rapid ﬁeld assessment of the shallow waters of the northern
Abrolhos Bank, Brazil, located oﬀ the southern coast of Bahia and northern portion of Espírito Santo States. The Abrolhos Bank consists of a 200 km-wide expansion of the continental
platform, covering about 46,000 square kilometers, in which there are extensive mangroves,seagrass and algae bottoms, submerged and emergent coral reefs, and a group of small volcanicislands that comprise the Abrolhos Archipelago (Leão et al. 2003). Due to the high biodiversity and the uniqueness of its biological assemblages and reef formations, the ﬁrst National
Marine Park of Brazil was established in the Abrolhos in 1983 and, since then, other marine
protected areas (MPAs) have also been created and are starting to be implemented.
The region supports the richest coral reef fauna in the southern Atlantic. Although species
richness is not as high as that recorded in other biogeographic regions such as the Coral Triangle, the Abrolhos encompasses one of the most representative samples of the unique southwestern Atlantic-endemic reef biota. Brazilian reefs as a whole, and the Abrolhos Bank in particular, are especially relevant for biodiversity conservation in the Atlantic Ocean, because they
concentrate high endemism levels in smaller areas, and this small portion of the ocean is underserious and immediate threats. Endemic species/area ratios for Brazilian reefs may be three tofour times higher than those of the Caribbean (Moura 2003). Marine species with extremely
narrow distributions, such as the Abrolhos-endemic brain coral (Mussismilia braziliensis), may
be threatened by extinction if habitat degradation is not reduced in the next few years.
Conservation International, in partnership with several governmental and non-governmental organizations, have developed and are implementing a targeted strategy to address and mitigate the degradation of the coastal and marine environments of the Abrolhos Region (Werner
et al. 2000). The national and global biodiversity importance of the Abrolhos, combined withgrowing environmental threats, clearly indicate the need for a large conservation program inthis region, integrating reef, mangrove, and forest ecosystem conservation.
Marine RAP

The goal of Marine RAP is to rapidly generate and disseminate information on coastal andnear-shore shallow-water marine biodiversity for conservation purposes, with a particular focus
on recommending priorities for conservation area establishment and management. Marine
RAP deploys multi-disciplinary teams of marine scientists and coastal resource experts to determine the biodiversity signiﬁcance and conservation opportunities of selected areas. Throughunderwater inventories generally lasting three weeks, Marine RAP surveys produce species lists
that serve as indicators of overall biological richness, as well as recording several measurements
to assess overall ecosystem health. During each survey, RAP supports parallel assessmentsof local human community needs and concerns, which become incorporated into the ﬁnal
recommendations.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

11

Overview

By comparing the results obtained from many surveys,
Marine RAP is ultimately focused on ensuring that a representative sample of marine biodiversity is conserved withinprotected areas and through other conservation measures.
ABROLHOS: BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATIONThe Abrolhos Bank harbors the largest and richest coral
reefs within the South Atlantic Ocean, comprising a uniquereef ecosystem that thrives in relatively turbid waters, understrong coastal and riverine/estuarine inﬂuence (Leão &Ginsburg 1997). Among reefal structures the “chapeirões”
represents a growth form unique among the Brazilian reefs.
It consists of isolated narrow pillars whose tops are expanded
laterally, reaching to 50 meters in diameter and 25 meters
high, resembling ﬂat mushrooms (Leão at al. 2003).
The region represents a mosaic of habitats including
mangroves, muddy/silt bottoms, sand ﬂats, seagrass beds,
coralline algae bottoms, and coral reefs. It is also one of themost important breeding and/or feeding sites in the southern
Atlantic for several ﬂagship species such as humpback
whales, sea turtles (greens, loggerheads, hawksbills andleatherbacks) and sea birds.
The survey area is located north of Abrolhos Bank, inthe shallow waters oﬀ the coastal municipalities of Prado,
Alcobaça, Caravelas, Nova Viçosa and Mucuri. Threemarine protected areas were among the surveyed sites: one
fully-protected — Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos(Abrolhos National Park; 882 square kilometers), andtwo sustainable-use — the Reserva Extrativista Marinha
do Corumbau (Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve; 895
square kilometers, created soon after the Abrolhos RAP
expedition), and the Área de Proteção Ambiental Ponta da
Baleia/Abrolhos (Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos Environmental
Protected Area — EPA; 3,460 square kilometers — not
implemented). Nearly all of the Atlantic Rainforest that once
bordered the Abrolhos Bank has already disappeared, but
small remnants remain in three national parks, the ParqueNacional Monte Pascoal (125 square kilometers), the ParqueNacional Pau-Brasil (115 square kilometers), and the ParqueNacional Descobrimento (215 square kilometers), as well as
in three main indigenous lands inhabited by Pataxó Indians,
the Terra Indígena Barra Velha, Terra Indígena Águas Belas,
and Terra Indígena Corumbauzinho.
Despite the existing network of protected areas, there areseveral conservation concerns for the complex mosaic ofcoastal and marine ecosystems of the Abrolhos. Oil operations were attempted in the past, without success, but are
still being planned for the near future, encompassing several
fragile habitats (Marchioro et al. in press). There are several
companies dealing with large-scale marine transportation(mostly Eucalyptus logs and cellulose) near coral reefs andbreeding areas of humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae).
Large shrimp farm projects have also being proposed in
the estuarine areas, seriously threatening coastal habitats

12

Rapid Assessment Program(restingas and mangroves) and local traditional communities. Fisheries management is limited due to the lack of basic
life history information for most commercially important
species. As a result, speciﬁc ﬁshing regulations focus only
on a few marine resources such as peneid shrimps (season),
lobster (season and gear), snooks (season) and jewﬁsh (closed
until 2007). Also, the representativity of the network of
MPAs is limited, as there are no fully protected areas encompassing mangroves and no protected areas encompassing
reefs deeper than 20 m.
Physical Environment

The Abrolhos Bank extends from Prado (Bahia State) toRegência (Espírito Santo State) municipalities, limited
eastward by the edge of the Brazilian Shelf (200 metersdeep), and with maximum extension in front of Caravelas
municipality (Bahia), reaching a width of 200 kilometers(Mello et al. 1975). The mean depth along the Bank is about
30 meters. Only a portion of the Abrolhos reefs are mapped(in the Navy Charts) or described (e.g. Prates 2003). Recent
surveys conducted by Conservation International and partners in depths over 30 meters indicate that a number of reef
formations are unmapped and remain undescribed.
Two main seasons are distinguished annually in the region: summer between December and March, characterizedby winds from north to east (predominantly NE), when thewater is normally clearer and hotter (the mean water surface
temperature in March is 27.5°C, US Navy 1978), and winter between April and November, characterized by constantchanges in the wind direction (from NE to South/SE),
causing short-term events of sediment re-suspension, and reduced underwater visibility. Cold winds from the south can
reduce the water temperature to about 23°C (the mean water
surface temperature in August is 24.5°C, US Navy 1978).
The mean annual rainfall in the Abrolhos Archipelago
is 1,033 mm (data from Brazilian Navy: 1956 to 1997),
varying from 40 mm in February to 130 mm in October.
The rainfall on the continent is higher — the mean annual
rainfall in Caravelas is 1,383 mm (data from INMET: 1961–
1990), and also seasonal. Along the surveyed area there is anumber of small rivers, but large rivers can be found up to
120 km north (Jequitinhonha River) or 190 km south(Dôce River).
The marine currents in the region are predominantly from
north to south. Local current deviations are caused by theplatform and reef trapping, as well as tides and winds.
Human Environment

The coastal municipalities of the surveyed area (Mucuri,
Nova Viçosa, Caravelas, Alcobaça and Prado) are relatively
small, with about 128,000 residents (IBGE 2000). Tourism
and artisanal ﬁsheries are the primary income sources for thecoastal population of these ﬁve municipalities, but there has
been a noticeable increase in agro-industrial activities sincethe 1980’s, especially those related to cellulose production
and processing.

Overview

The ﬁshing ﬂeet is composed of small motor boats(6–12 meters), and canoes (for one or two people). Someof the motorized vessels are engaged in shrimp trawlingin the muddy bottoms localized between the reefs and thecoast. The majority of the other boats and canoes target reefﬁshes, using hooks, nets or spears. Commercial ﬁshing has
occurred in the region since the 16th century.
A portion of the ﬁshing community, especially north of
Prado municipality and in the Caravelas/Nova Viçosa estuary, engage in ﬁshing as a subsistence activity, complementing their family income with small agricultural production. These communities are seriously threatened by urban
growth, tourism, and aquaculture. This has caused an increase in land prices near the coast, thus forcing ﬁsherman tomove away from the coast or into the towns. In both places
the ﬁshing communities are committed to the creation andimplementation of sustainable use marine protected areas inorder to guarantee their rights and sustainability of marine
resources. The Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve (createdin 2000, in the Prado and Porto Seguro municipalities) andthe Cassurubá Sustainable Development Reserve (Reserva deDesenvolvimento Sustentável do Cassurubá — recently proposed in the Caravelas/Nova Viçosa estuary) are establishedin these areas and are promising conservation tools. These
initiatives are strongly supported by Conservation International and local partners.
In Prado municipality the Indigenous Pataxó group haveorganized themselves in order to assert claims to their
original property rights, through the recognition of Indigenous Lands. This initiative has caused constant conﬂictwith land owners, and remains an unresolved issue with theBrazilian Government.
SURVEY SITES AND METHODSThe Marine RAP survey of the Abrolhos Bank assessed
45 (Table 1, following page) sites over an 18-day period(11–28 February 2000). The general areas covered by thesurvey were selected prior to the expedition, in order tomaximize the diversity of habitats visited, thus facilitating species lists that incorporate maximum biodiversity.
Sampling eﬀorts were concentrated on coral reefs and theiradjacent soft bottom. At each site, an underwater inventory
was made of six faunal groups selected to serve as indicators of overall biodiversity: corals, ﬁshes, algae, polychaete
worms, molluscs, and crustaceans (the last three groups wereanalyzed only on bottom-sediment samples). In addition
to the species inventory, bottom-sediment samples weretaken in the immediate vicinity of the reefs. Because theAbrolhos coral reefs are in extremely turbid waters, there isconsiderable need to expand the current knowledge of theirdistribution and characteristics of the main sediment types.
Additional observations were made on the environmental
conditions at each site, including an evaluation of somethreat parameters. Observations and data on reef ﬁsheries

were also gathered by a ﬁsheries scientist, who evaluated theabundance and size of the main target species at each site.
The survey area (see map) encompasses the Recifes Itacolomis
in the northern portion of the bank, the Recife das Timbebas,
Parcel dos Abrolhos and the Abrolhos Archipelago in its central
portion, and the Popa Verde, Coroa Vermelha and Viçosa
reefs in the south, as well as other small reefs near the coast(Pataxo, Mato Grosso, Cumuruxatiba and Guaratibas) andouter banks and reefs (Banco das Caladas, Recife Califórnia).
The 45 survey sites were reached by the live-aboard divevessel “Horizonte Aberto” (supported by the trawler “Ina” atsome sites), operating from the coastal city of Caravelas, theheadquarters of CI–Brasil Marine Program.
The survey was conducted by the Marine Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) of Conservation International (CI),in collaboration with the Abrolhos National Park Administration / Brazilian Environmental Agency (IBAMA) andscientists from the Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro(MNRJ), Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Instituto
de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (JBRJ), Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP),
and the Brazilian Navy, through the Instituto de Estudos do
Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira (IEAPM).
SUMMARY OF RESULTS

This survey stresses the importance of the Abrolhos as apriority area for biodiversity conservation in the Southern
Atlantic. The relatively high number of new range extensions
and undescribed species that are reported herein, is indicative of the incomplete state of knowledge for this region.
However, there are signs of degradation in certain partsof the bank, and a disturbing lack of implementation andenforcement in a great portion of the marine protected areas(MPAs). Also, the MPA network is concentrated in coastal
areas around the more obvious emergent coral reefs, withpoor representation on the outermost reef formations. Despite their relative poor coral cover, the deeper oﬀshore reefs
deserve more attention. They possess unique assemblages andhigher densities of species targeted by reef ﬁsheries. They arealso an important source of propagules for several areas thatare already showing signs of overﬁshing. All the scientists
that participated in the survey had previous research experiences in the region. Therefore, the present report includes
not only the results from the survey, but also a summary ofknowledge of the six target taxonomic groups, sedimentology and ﬁsheries in the Abrolhos. The most relevant ﬁndings
include:•Anthozoans (corals and allies). 39 species of anthozoans
were recorded, belonging to 21 families. Scleractinia(reef-building corals) is represented by 19 species in
11 families. Two rare species of azooxanthellate corals,
Rhizopsammia goesi and Rhizosmilia maculata, wererecorded during the survey. Most individual species ofAbrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

13

Overview

TABLE 1. Summary of survey sites for Marine RAP of the Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil.

14

SITE

DATE

NAME

LATITUDE

1

2/11/2000

Nova Viçosa Reef

17 ° 59‘ 46.4“ 39° 16 ‘22.2“2

2/11/2000

Corôa Vermelha Lagoon

17 ° 57‘ 40.0“ 39° 12 ‘50.5“3

2/12/2000

Sequeiro of Popa Verde I

18 ° 1‘ 42.8“ 39° 0 ‘0.5 “

4

2/12/2000

Sequeiro of Popa Verde II

18 ° 1‘ 13.3“ 38° 59 ‘18.0“

5

2/12/2000

Western Popa Verde

18 ° 0‘ 40.4“ 39° 1 ‘6.2 “

6

2/13/2000

Corôa Vermelha Reef

17 ° 57‘ 18.0“ 39° 13 ‘7.1 “

7

2/13/2000

Northern Popa Verde

17 ° 59‘ 19.8“ 38° 57 ‘58.7“

8

2/13/2000

Eastern Popa Verde

18 ° 0‘ 21.3“ 38° 56 ‘20.0“

9

2/14/2000

Guaratibas Reef

17 ° 25‘ 19.9“ 39° 8 ‘7.1 “

10

2/14/2000

Cumuruxatiba Reef

17 ° 5‘ 54.6“ 39° 10 ‘6.3 “

11

2/15/2000

Alto de Cumuruxatiba

16 ° 58‘ 31.3“ 39° 4 ‘17.6“

12

1/15/2000

Pataxo Reef

17 ° 0‘ 14.4“ 39° 7 ‘37.5“

13

2/15/2000

Mato Grosso Reef

16 ° 57‘ 5.3“ 39° 6 ‘48.9“

14

2/16/2000

Pedra Brava, Itacolomis Reefs

16 ° 53‘ 11.0“ 39° 5 ‘6.2 “

15

2/16/2000

Ponta Norte, Itacolomis Reefs

16 ° 52‘ 58.0“ 39° 3 ‘4.1 “

16

2/16/2000

Pedra do Silva, Itacolomis Reefs

16 ° 53‘ 45.9“ 39° 5 ‘29.0“

17

2/17/2000

Pedra do Canudo, Itacolomis Reefs

16 ° 53‘ 52.9“ 39° 4 ‘43.8“

18

2/17/2000

Costão, Itacolomis Reefs

16 ° 53‘ 30.7“ 39° 3 ‘55.0“

19

2/18/2000

Lixa Reef, Parcel das Paredes

17 ° 42‘ 29.9“ 39° 0 ‘3.9 “

20

2/19/2000

Pedra Grande Reef, Parcel das Paredes

17 ° 44‘ 44.1“ 38° 55 ‘8.7 “

21

2/19/2000

Eastern Parcel das Paredes

17 ° 49‘ 9.5“ 38° 55 ‘29.8“

22

2/20/2000

Sebastião Gomes Reef

17 ° 54‘ 33.3“ 39° 8 ‘39.2“

23

2/20/2000

Southern Parcel das Paredes

17 ° 52‘ 30.4“ 38° 58 ‘45.9“

24

2/20/2000

Wertern Parcel das Paredes

17 ° 48‘ 47.0“ 39° 0 ‘40.2“

25

2/21/2000

Abrolhos Channel

17 ° 59‘ 26.6“ 38° 51 ‘2.2 “26

2/21/2000

Western Parcel dos Abrolhos, Abrolhos National Park

18 ° 0‘ 14.4“ 38° 42 ‘13.3“

27

2/22/2000

Caladas Falsas Bank

17 ° 42‘ 55.3“ 38° 36 ‘3.3 “28

2/22/2000

Border of Caladas Falsas Bank

17 ° 43‘ 17.0“ 38° 36 ‘5.4 “

29

2/22/2000

Eastern Abrolhos Channel

17 ° 59‘ 34.2“ 38° 45 ‘23.3“

30

2/23/2000

Eastern Parcel dos Abrolhos, Abrolhos National Park

18 ° 0‘ 46.5“ 38° 38 ‘22.4“

31

2/23/2000

California Reef, Abrolhos National Park

18 ° 6‘ 7.8“ 38° 35 ‘26.0“

32

2/24/2000

Abrolhos Archipelago, Abrolhos National Park

17 ° 58‘ 4.4“ 38° 42 ‘41.3“

33

2/24/2000

North of Abrolhos Archipelago, Abrolhos National Park

17 ° 54‘ 25.9“ 38° 41 ‘25.6“

34

2/24/2000

Central Parcel dos Abrolhos, Abrolhos National Park

17 ° 58‘ 51.1“ 38° 39 ‘35.3“

35

2/24/2000

Southern Parcel dos Abrolhos, Abrolhos National Park

18 ° 2‘ 53.0“ 38° 40 ‘44.0“

36

2/25/2000

Lixa Reef, Parcel das Paredes

17 ° 40‘ 56.7“ 38° 57 ‘59.0“

37

2/25/2000

Boqueirão, Parcel das Paredes

17 ° 45‘ 7.6“ 38° 58 ‘43.2“

38

2/26/2000

Southern Timbebas Reef, Abrolhos National Park

17 ° 30‘ 22.4“ 39° 0 ‘47.0“

39

2/26/2000

Northern Timbebas Reef, Abrolhos National Park

17 ° 27‘ 36.7“ 39° 1 ‘55.0“

40

2/26/2000

Central Timbebas Reef, Abrolhos National Park

17 ° 28‘ 42.3“ 39° 1 ‘40.0“

41

2/27/2000

Plain of Calcareous Algae

17 ° 21‘ 1.6“ 38° 52 ‘26.5“

42

2/27/2000

Salteado de Timbebas

17 ° 25‘ 34.3“ 38° 58 ‘16.6“

43

2/27/2000

Areia Reef

17 ° 36‘ 19.5“ 39° 3 ‘3.6 “

44

2/28/2000

Corôa Grande Channel

17 ° 42‘ 14.1“ 39° 3 ‘36.3“

45

2/28/2000

Pedra de Leste, Parcel das Paredes

17 ° 47‘ 11.9“ 39° 2 ‘54.1“Rapid Assessment Program

LONGITUDE

Overview

anthozoans and hydrocorals are distributed widely over
the Abrolhos Bank, but often exhibit preferences for
local habitat conditions (e.g., reef tops,walls, etc.) or
larger geographic areas (inner versus outer reefs).
•

•

•

•

Fishes. A checklist of 266 species of reef and shore ﬁshes
was compiled with data from the RAP survey and four
previous ﬁeld trips. Ten species belonging to six families
were recorded for the ﬁrst time in the Abrolhos, and an
undescribed viviparous brotula (genus Ogilbia, family
Bythitidae) was found, being potentially endemic to theAbrolhos Region. Five major faunal assemblages weredetected, corresponding to the major areas and habitat
types (mangrove/estuaries, outer banks, northern reefs,
archipelago Area, and pinnacle reefs). Higher ﬁsh densities were consistently found in the richest sites (archipelago), which are also the most protected. In addition,
signiﬁcant diﬀerences in ﬁsh density between habitats(tops and walls) were found in all coral reef pinnacle
areas. The Abrolhos contains a representative sampleof Brazil’s endemic ﬁsh fauna, including approximately
80% of all ﬁsh species endemic to southwestern
Atlantic reefs.
Fisheries. The larger ﬁshes targeted by reef ﬁsheries in
the Abrolhos comprise species of Scaridae (parrotﬁshes),
Serranidae (groupers), Carangidae (jacks), Lutjanidae(snappers) and Haemulidae (grunts). During the RAP
survey, Scaridae was the most abundant target ﬁshfamily, constituting 30 to 57% of all ﬁshes observed.
Serranids varied from 0.20 to 3% of total target ﬁshes.
Densities of serranids, carangids and scarids were higher
in sites within the National Marine Park. Also, reefs
inside the park contained greater numbers of large-sized
scarids and serranids than other reefs. Data gathered
on abundance and size indicates that the implemented
portion of the park shows positive signs of protection,
at least for some families. Hook-and-line is the mostcommon ﬁshing method. However, interpretation andcomparison of data is diﬃcult due to the lack of information concerning ﬁshing eﬀort on each reef.
Marine plants: 100 species of marine plants were recorded, comprising 42 Chlorophyta (green algae), 24 Phaeophyta (brown algae), 32 Rhodophyta (red algae) and2 Magnoliophyta (seagrass). The most speciose familiesof algae were Dictyotaceae, Udoteaceae, Caulerpaceae
and Corallinaceae. Three algae species are reported forthe ﬁrst time from the Brazilian coast. Grazing pressure
by ﬁshes seems to be an important factor that accounts
for low canopy height on the Abrolhos oﬀshore reefs, ascompared to other coastal reef areas where higher ﬁshing pressure allows frondose macroalgae to proliferate.
Bottom sediments. Abrolhos is characterized by a relict
coral fauna that apparently has a relatively higher toler-ance to muddy conditions than that of other regions.
Sand and mud are the most common bottom sediments
surrounding the reefs surveyed in the Abrolhos region.
Coarse (gravel) sediments are relatively uncommon.
High levels of siliciclastic-dominated sediments were
not evident in most samples gathered during the RAP
survey, as reported in previous work in the Abrolhos.
The reason for this discrepancy is that bottom samples
were collected close to reefs and therefore contained
bioclastic material from reef organisms rather thansediment transported from shore. Muddy sediments
were mostly of biogenic origin, probably resulting frombioerosional activities of various boring organisms.
•

Soft bottom molluscs. 293 species of molluscs wererecorded during the RAP Survey. In terms of total number of species collected, the Abrolhos RAP expedition
ranked second for any survey carried out on the Brazilian coast, but ranks ﬁrst in the number of new additions
to the Brazilian malacofauna. Seventeen species wererecorded for the ﬁrst time for the Brazilian coast, andthe known geographical ranges of 36 species were extended. Twenty species are probably new to science and,
together with the endemics, totaled 38 species (12.9%).
This high level of endemism suggests the existence of adiscrete biogeographic unit oﬀ the northeast coastof Brazil.

•

Soft bottom polychaete worms. 90 species belonging to
37 families of polychaetes were recorded. The Abrolhos
RAP Survey added 86 new distribution records for theAbrolhos Bank. The richest site (21 species, RAP Site21) was located in the outer part of Paredes Reefs, oneof the most southern and coastal sites within the RAPSurvey area. Three species were found for the ﬁrst timesince their original descriptions. Species collected weremainly cosmopolitan or belonged to the Caribbean
Biogeographical Province. Many of the most diverse
sites were located in areas subjected to recent humandisturbances, such as intense ﬁshing eﬀort and sediment
input by coastal erosion caused by deforestation.
These sites are not within implemented MPAs andtheir resident fauna may be at risk, owing to low population densities.

•

Crustaceans. Soft bottom samples from the RAP Survey
contained a total of at least 53 species of crustaceans.
The total crustacean fauna of the Abrolhos Bank, basedon past and current records, includes 535 species. The
Abrolhos region has the most diverse crustacean faunain Brazil, but endemism is relatively low. The inner reef
arc was the most diverse region for soft bottom crustaceans, with a mean of 7.7 species per sample (range
1–19). Timbebas was the single richest reef, followed by
Coroa Vermelha and Lixa Reef. The Abrolhos Archipelago was the poorest area for crustaceans.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

15

Overview

Reserve (Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Cassurubá) emerged as a promising alternative for protecting part these areas.”

CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS

The major concerns for the long-term maintenance of themosaic of marine and coastal ecosystems of the Abrolhos
Bank are the insuﬃcient representation of key biodiverse
areas and lack of implementation and compliance to the laws
or regulations of the currently existing MPA network, overall
ineﬃcient ﬁsheries management and the large industrial
projects related to the cellulose and oil industries. The resultsof this survey ﬁrmly establish the region as a primary target
for marine conservation in the Atlantic Ocean. In order toachieve this aim, we propose the following recommendations:

3.

Marine protected areas

1.

2.

16

Expand the representation of key biodiverse areas into
the existing network of marine protected areas of theAbrolhos. The Brazilian Ministry for Environment(Ministério do Meio Ambiente — MMA) is urged towork closely with research institutions, universities,
and local NGOs in order to create additional protectedareas that encompass species and habitats that are notyet secured by the existing ones. For instance, deep reefs
near the shelf break and calcareous algae beds such as
those found in the Caladas Falsas Bank (RAP Sites 27
and 28) are not represented within the existing MPAs.
Protection is restricted to depths less than 30m. In the
coastal zone, mangroves and “restingas” are also in greatneed of additional protection, as only a small portion ofthese ecosystems are under eﬀective protected areas (inthe Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve and ParqueNacional Monte Pascoal). For Abrolhos to be eﬀectively
protected, the entire complex of coastal and marine ecosystems needs to be managed as part of a broader MPA
Network.
Eﬀectively protect the areas formally designated aspart of the Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos Environmental
Protected Area - EPA, through a community-based
approach. This large coastal and marine protected area(~3,460 km2), created in 1993 by the Bahia State Government, remained a “paper park” until the publicationof this report. Some of the richest areas surveyed during
the Abrolhos Bank RAP are within the EPA (e.g., RAP
sites 19, 22, 37, 43 for marine plants; RAP sites 2, 6, 19
and 36 for crustaceans; RAP site 9 for molluscs; RAP
site 21 for polychaete worms). It also comprehends thelargest mangroves of the Abrolhos Bank (110 km2),
traditionally exploited by local communities. It is urgent
that the Brazilian Government promotes a broad assessment of the natural attributes and uses of the coral
reefs, shrimp banks, mangroves and “restingas” within
the EPA. Community involvement in the initial evaluation and subsequent monitoring of the use of marine
resources will ensure their long-term sustainability.
Recently, the proposal of a Sustainable Development

Rapid Assessment Program

Enforce the fully protected areas of the AbrolhosBank. Since its creation in 1983, the Abrolhos National
Park has experienced logistical diﬃculties in eﬀectively
enforcing compliance within the park area. This isespecially true for Timbebas Reef that is constantly
threatened by illegal ﬁshing. At the same time the fully
protected areas as deﬁned by the management planof Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve lack a regular enforcement process except for the eﬀorts of local
ﬁshermen who work to maintain the areas’ biologicalintegrity. The Brazilian Government (IBAMA) must
seriously address this problem so that the positive eﬀects
of biodiversity conservation and ﬁshing sustainability
from these MPAs are realized and their importancerecognized by the community.

Public policies / Coastal management

1.

Improve existing partnerships with governmental andnon-governmental organizations in order to integratemarine and coastal resources management. We recommend that the government commits to developing an
integrated coastal management strategy that improvesinter-agency coordination. Governmental agencies
responsible for ﬁsheries (e.g., the Secretaria Especial de
Aqüicultura e Pesca da Presidência da República) andfor environmental protection (e.g., Ministério do Meio
Ambiente, IBAMA and the Secretaria de Meio Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos da Bahia — SEMARH) still do
not share common policies and agendas for marine andcoastal issues. This desirable cooperation among relevant
government departments can be facilitated by local andinternational NGOs working in the Abrolhos.

2.

Develop ﬁnancial mechanisms to support coastal andmarine conservation. Conservation of the outstanding
ecosystems within the Abrolhos Complex will provide
the greatest economic return for its people, particularly
given the considerable potential for eco-tourism andsustainable ﬁsheries. One option would be the creationof a trust fund, or a similar mechanism, in order toprovide the support for conservation action across theentire mosaic of coastal and marine protected areas.

3.

Enforce existing laws and enact more eﬀective laws
to regulate ﬁshing activities. There is a critical needfor additional legislation to manage several ﬁsheries
with the long-term goal of sustaining resources. This
would include laws being implemented that are basedon sound biological information to set standards forthe type and quantity of gear allowed and catch quotas
for various species. Currently, there are seasonal ﬁshingOverview

restrictions only for peneid shrimps (March–May),
snooks (May–June) and lobsters (January–April). Sizelimits have been only determined for the crab Ucides
cordatus and lobsters (Panulirus spp.). The capture of thejewﬁsh (Epinephelus itajara) is prohibited until 2007.
Moreover, existing ﬁshing regulations are generally
poorly enforced, due to lack of infrastructure and insufﬁcient human resources.

as well as partnerships among NGOs, universities andenvironmental agencies, would provide an incentive for
expanding applied research about endangered marine
species, allowing the development of speciﬁc management plans for these species.
4.

Applied conservation research

1.

Identify major sources of sediments that reach coral
reefs and determine the extent (and scale) that sedimentation is aﬀecting coral growth and recruitment.
The eﬀects of sedimentation from deforestation, agriculture, dredging and mining are of great concern in the
Abrolhos. The region is subjected to one of the highest
sedimentation rates over living reefs in the world, and it
is not clear whether the reefs can support any increase
in sediment load. For example, the identiﬁcation of
the major land-based sediment sources would help inplanning a more intact and protected watershed, and inproposing mitigation measures for coastal development
projects such as channel dredging and seaport buildings.
Applied research aiming to identify the major temporal and spatial trends in coral-growth rates and theirrelationships with sedimentation rates may help to scaleand diﬀerentiate natural and anthropogenic impacts
that aﬀect the reefs. This would allow the developmentof adequate long-term conservation strategies.

2.

Conduct additional biological surveys in other areasof the Abrolhos Bank. Based on the results form thissurvey, it is recommended that future surveys should
be conducted in areas and habitats not visited in 2000,
such as deep reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves/estuaries. Freshwater ecosystems are also of special concern
to marine conservation initiatives, as they provide animportant pathway for nutrient exchange between theterrestrial and marine realms and are a conduit for sediments. Freshwater ﬁshes and odonates are also considered excellent indicators for water-quality monitoring,but there is a complete lack of baseline information on
the biodiversity of such groups in the entire region.

3.

Implement additional conservation programs forendangered marine life. There is a critical need forbiological studies of rare and endangered marine wildlife such as sharks, rays, endemic reef ﬁshes and corals,
sea turtles, marine birds, and cetaceans. The Abrolhos
Bank harbors a rich assortment of endangered species.
There is already a successful species-level conservation
program carried out by the Instituto Baleia Jubarte that
focuses on the humpback whale, Megaptera novaengliae.
Programs such as this could be extended to include
other species. Financial support for university students,

Expand and integrate current environmental monitoring programs. Since 2001 CI has been monitoring
biodiversity indicators (ﬁshes and benthic coverage
inside and outside protected areas), and artisanalﬁsheries (ﬁsh and shrimp landings in Corumbau). The
humpback whale population has also being monitoredby the partner NGO Instituto Baleia Jubarte. These
monitoring programs carried out by CI and its partners,
together with those from other organizations (e.g., Reef
Check/UFPE; AGRRA-The Atlantic and Gulf Rapid
Reef Assessment/UFBA; IBAMA), need to be geographically expanded to cover the entire Abrolhos Bankand most of the ~50 threatened marine species recordedin the region. Moreover as most of these initiatives operate in isolation from one another, there is a great needto integrate eﬀorts including databases. This would optimize outcomes in the current limited-resources scenario.
An integration workshop can provide the opportunity
to plan the needed sampling eﬀort and standardize sampling protocols for comparison. Such integration may
also provide the desired interface between the scientiﬁc
institutions and governmental agencies responsible formarine resources management.

Communication and environmental education

1.

Implement a national environmental awareness campaign focusing on marine ecosystems. In Brazil, mostconservation eﬀorts have understandably been devoted
to forest-associated issues. However, a large campaign isalso needed for the country’s vast and threatened marine
and coastal environments. Abrolhos, the country’s richest coral reef and largest breeding ground for the humpback whale — among other ﬂagship marine species,
can reasonably be a central focus for creating marine
awareness in the country.

2.

Strengthen community participation in conservation
planning and management. The ﬁshing communitiesof the Abrolhos Bank have actively participated in planning and management of marine areas, since the beginning of the Abrolhos Project in 1996. To accomplish
that, CI-Brasil has invested a huge amount of eﬀort tocommunicate the importance of establishing and respecting conservation rules, and the beneﬁts that can begained for the community with such activites. In doing
so communication is increasing community participation in conservation initiatives that is a key element for
the adaptative management strategy adopted by CI andpartners in the Abrolhos.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

17

Overview

18

Private sector

REFERENCES

1.

Regulation of oil and gas exploration, and mining.
Development projects that potentially entail largescale habitat modiﬁcation should be banned fromthe ecologically sensitive areas of the Abrolhos. These
include oil and gas exploration and production, as
well as mining of calcareous-algae beds for limestone
production. Due to the patchy distribution of several
reef-associated species, such projects could cause a substantial number of extinctions if medium to large-scale
accidents occur. The risks of oil operations and mining
in such a fragile and unique region must be avoided.

2.

Establish best-practices policies for companies operating in the region. Companies operating or intending toinvest in the Abrolhos Complex are expected to show
a strong commitment to environmental care. In several
cases, there is the genuine potential for the establishment of operational mechanisms that would allow a
coexistence of the industries with the unique biota of
the Abrolhos. For example, the cellulose companies
established in Southern Bahia and Northern Espírito
Santo (ones of the largest in the world) are adopting
marine routes for the transportation of logs to theirindustrial units. Best practices policies are needed todivert ship traﬃc from critical habitats (e.g. coral reefs
and whale nursery sites), as well as to mitigate the eﬀects
of sedimentation due to dredging activities. Additional
studies on the spatial distribution of whales to deﬁne
the best routes for the barges as well as small-scale sea
bottom mapping are still greatly needed.

3.

Regulation of Tourism/Whalewatching. Tourism is
one of the most promising activities in Southern Bahia
and must be developed in environmentally sound ways.
Huge impacts of tourism have been documented on thereefs of Porto Seguro, North of Abrolhos Bank, wherelarge numbers of visitors disembark over small reefareas. On coastal reefs, inadequate anchoring is also a
threat and must be avoided through the installation ofmoorings in the commonly visited areas, as was recently
provided by IBAMA in the Abrolhos National Park.
Urban growth over mangroves and waste disposal onrivers and estuaries are common practices in the region.
Development policies must address these problems
to avoid the failure of tourism due to environmental
aggressions. Whalewatching has been rapidly growing during the last ﬁve years along the Bahia coast andimproved enforcement is needed to make the whale
observation laws eﬀective. Deﬁning a management planfor this activity is also essential to avoid impacts on the
behavior of these cetaceans.

IBGE 2000. Instituto Brasileiro de Geograﬁa e Estatística.
Censo Demográﬁco 2000 — Municípios. http://www.
ibge.gov.br/Leão, Z.M.A.N. & R.N. Ginsburg. 1997. Living reefs surrounded by siliciclastic sediments: the Abrolhos coastal
reefs, Bahia, Brazil. Proceedings of the 8th International
Coral Reef Symposium, Panamá 2: 1767–1772.
Leão, Z.M.A.N., R.K.P. Kikuchi & V. Testa. 2003. Corals
and coral reefs of Brazil. Pages 9–52 in J. Cortés, editor.
Latin American Coral Reefs. Elsevier Science.
Marchioro, G.B., M.A. Nunes, G.F. Dutra, R.L. Moura& P.G.P. Pereira. In press. Avaliação de impactos da
exploração e produção de hidrocarbonetos no Banco dos
Abrolhos e Adjacências. Megadiversidade.
Moura, R.L. 2003. Brazilian reefs as priority areas for biodiversity conservation in the Atlantic Ocean. Proceedingsof the 9th International Coral Reef Symposium 9(2):917–920.
Mello, U., C.P. Summerhayes & J.P. Ellis. 1975. Uppercontinental margin sedimentation oﬀ Brazil, Part IV:
Salvador to Vitoria, Southeastern Brazil. Contributions
to Sedimentology, 4:78–116.
Prates, A.P. (2003). Recifes de coral e unidades de conservação costeiras e marinhas no Brasil: uma análise da representatividade e eﬁciência na conservação da biodiversidade. PhD thesis. Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF
US Navy 1978. US Navy Marine Climatic Atlas of theWorld, Volume IV — South Atlantic Ocean, Washington, D.C., 325 p.
Werner, T.B., L.P. Pinto, G.F. Dutra & P.G.P. Pereira. 2000.
Abrolhos 2000: Conserving the Southern Atlantic’s
richest coastal biodiversity into the next century. Coastal
Management 28: 99–108.

Rapid Assessment ProgramChapter 1
Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex,
BrazilClovis B. Castro, Bárbara Segal, Débora O. Pires andMarcelo S. Medeiros

SUMMARY•

The Abrolhos anthozoan fauna consists of 39 species belonging to 21 families. Scleractinia
is represented by 19 species in 11 families of which 14 species were recorded during thecurrent RAP survey. In addition, three of the four hydrocorals (Millepora and Stylaster)
known from the area were recorded.

•

Two rare species of azooxanthellate corals, Rhizopsammia goesi and Rhizosmilia maculata,
were recorded during the survey. The latter species was previously described from 55 m
depth oﬀ the Abrolhos Bank, but our observations indicate it also occurs regularly in
8–15 m.

•Stephanocoenia intersepta, a scleractinian coral previously reported as being rare in Brazil,
was recorded as common in some areas of the Abrolhos Bank.

•

There is little knowledge about the sea anemones (Order Actiniaria) of Abrolhos, due
to their cryptic occurrence and small size. Intensive and targeted sampling is needed toadequately survey this group.

•

Most individual species of anthozoans and hydrocorals are distributed widely over theAbrolhos Bank, but often exhibit preferences for local habitat conditions (e.g., reef tops,
walls, etc.) or larger geographic areas (inner versus outer reefs).

•

The existing protected areas — Parcel dos Abrolhos and Timbebas Reef in the National
Marine Park, the Itacolomis Extractive Reserve, and most other coastal reefs in the Áreade Proteção Ambiental da Ponta da Baleia (Environmental Protection Area — EPA)
— will only be fully protected from predatory or harmful activities if conservation
initiatives integrate analyses and actions simultaneously within them. The areas with themost urgent need for such a program are Parcel das Paredes and Popa Verde reefs, both in
the EPA, which lack a management plan.

INTRODUCTION

Brazil has the only true coral reefs known in the South Atlantic (Paulay 1997). Leão et al. (1988)
stated that eastern Brazilian reefs are characterized by globally distinct growth forms, reef building
fauna, and depositional setting. The largest and southernmost true reefs are in the Abrolhos
Bank (18°° S), Bahia State (Leão 1982). This reef complex is considered the largest and biologically richest coral reef area in the South Atlantic Ocean (Laborel 1970, Leão 1982, 1994,
1996, Leão et al. 1988, Castro 1994, Castro and Pires, 2001), with relatively well preserved
reefs that include all the reef coral species reported from Brazil (Laborel 1970).

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

19

Chapter 1Leão and Ginsburg (1997) emphasized the occurrenceof high levels of siliciclastic sediments in the coastal reef
environments of Abrolhos (which seems to be the case in
several other reefs in Brazil), and suggested that this perhaps
explained its low coral diversity. Nonetheless, our knowledgeof cnidarian faunal diversity is still incomplete, as indicatedby the discovery of large undescribed species and range
extension records (Castro 1989, 1990, Marques and Castro
1995). Also, more taxonomic reviews of Brazil’s scleractiniancorals are needed to verify if they are really diﬀerent fromtheir Caribbean relatives.
According to Laborel (1970), in the Abrolhos area coral
diversity increases in reefs farthest from land. Live coral
cover of up to 39% has been detected in some of the Abrolhos reefs (located farther oﬀshore), with an average for theentire area of around 15% (Villaça and Pitombo 1997, basedon data restricted to stations where corals occurred). Higher
percentages of coral cover are found only on reef tops, inwaters usually shallower than 10 m.
This report will provide a broad overview of the assemblages of coral and other cnidarian benthic groups in the
Abrolhos area covered by the RAP survey, and it will compare coral communities from diﬀerent localities within thisarea. This comparison is done with use of semi-quantitative
data, in order to detect trends in community distribution.
MATERIAL AND METHODS

We evaluated the occurrence and abundance of hard bottom
anthozoans, including stony corals, octocorals, and black
corals (all of which will be named here simply as “corals”),
zoanthids, and sea anemones. Fire corals were also includedin the analyses (and under the general term corals), due totheir high contribution in bottom cover and major role asreef builders.
Two kinds of data were collected, semi-quantitative estimation (Scheer 1978) and presence-absence. Based on our
knowledge of local reef morphology, we classiﬁed stations as
top (shallowest ﬂattened area of the reef ), border (boundary
area between the top and the wall), or wall (steep marginal
part of the reef, divided in upper and lower walls). Where
these distinctions were not clearly discernible, we used combinations of reef topographic categories, combining features
as general, top-border, or border-wall. Visual estimates and a
grading system (rare-sparse, common, 1–5% bottom coverage, 5–25%, 25–50%, >50%) were used to gather semiquantitative data (adapted from Braun-Blanquet 1964 apud
Scheer 1978).
We evaluated the completeness of the knowledge gathered on coral species richness during the RAP Survey bygraphically comparing the following estimators: numberof species observed in pooled samples (“sobs”), numberof uniques (species that occur in a single sample among
the pooled samples), duplicates (species that occur in two
samples among the pooled samples), ICE (incidence-based

20

Rapid Assessment Program

coverage estimator of species richness), ACE (abundancebased coverage estimator of species richness) and Colemanrichness estimation (Cole) (Coleman et al. 1982, Chao
1987, Chao et al. 1993, Colwell and Coddington 1994, Lee
and Chao 1994). All these estimators were calculated using
the software EstimateS, version 5.0.1 (Colwell 1997). These
analyses included Palythoa caribaeorum, a dominant anthozoan species in the area.
Aﬃnities among stations were compared using cluster
analysis based on the Euclidean distances of semi-quantitative data of corals and zoanthids. The following values werearbitrarily assigned for semi-quantitative data: rare-sparse=1;
common=2; 1–5% bottom coverage=3; 5–25%=4; 25–
50%=5; >50%=6. Clusters were linked by group average.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Data were gathered in 44 dives at 42 sites (Table 1, see
Introduction). The reef anthozoan and hydrocoral taxa
recorded for the Abrolhos area are listed in Appendix 1. As
expected, all stony reef corals previously reported from Brazil (Laborel 1970) were observed during the RAP Survey.
Among these is the stony coral Stephanocoenia intersepta,
previously reported as “rare in Brazil” (Veron 2000). The
RAP broad survey; however, demonstrated that it is actuallycommon in some areas of the Abrolhos Bank. Among theazooxanthellate corals known from this region is a rare species, with records concentrated at the outer reefs. Recently,
this species was tentatively identiﬁed by Cairns (2000) as
Rhizopsammia goesi. Another rare azooxanthellate species,
Rhizosmilia maculata, was observed at many stations in
depths between 8 and 15 m. This species has been previously registered in the area (type locality oﬀ Abrolhos), in
55 m depth (Cairns 1977), but our observations indicatethat this species also occurs in shallower areas. Anotherrelevant contribution of the RAP survey is the recognition
that Millepora nitida, included in the Brazilian Endangered
Species List (BRASIL-MMA-IBAMA, 1989), is common
in Parcel das Paredes and other coastal reefs. This species
shows restricted geographical distribution (from Salvador
to Abrolhos, Laborel, 1969), and until the RAP, has beenrecorded very few times.
Sea anemones (Order Actiniaria) are mostly cryptic andmany species are represented by small individuals. This is
why they are frequently overlooked. There is a lack of knowledge of this group and relatively little eﬀort was made tocollect individuals during the RAP Survey. A more intensive
and directed sampling would certainly increase the numberof records of Actiniaria in the Abrolhos Bank. Among thepoorly inventoried Actiniaria are the tube-dwelling anemones (Order Ceriantharia), a group that is still poorly known.
The rapid methodology employed in the present study was
not appropriate for thoroughly sampling these animals,
mainly because tube-dwelling anemones occur in sandy
substrates instead of on reefs. However, two species wereDistribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil

Table 1. List of RAP sites and three extra stations (exclusive of the corals survey),
indicating the surveyed features at each site. Legends: T = top of the reef; B = borderof the reef; W = reef wall (U = upper/shallower; L = lower/deeper); G = general.

RAP Site

Reef top
depth (m)Reef basedepth (m)Surveyed features

1

3

6

T, B, W

1 (extra) *

5.5

9.3

T, B, W

3

9

21.7

T, B, W (U, L)

4

3.9

15.9

T, B, W

5

21

G

6

1.5

5.7

T, W

8

8.7

23.3

T, W

9

1.5

9

T, B, W

10

0

0

G

11

5

12

T, B, W, B-W

12

1.6

4

T, B-W

13

1

6

T, B-W

13 (extra) **2

8

T, B-W

14

1

5.5

T, B-W

15

5

12

G

16

1

12.5

T, B, W

17

0.5

4

T, B-W

18

1

5.5

T, B, W, B-W

19

1

4.5

T

19 (extra) ***4

13

T, B-W

20

9.5

18

T-B, W

21

6

18

T, B, W

22

4

6.5

T, B, W

23

3

11

T, B, W

24

3

11

T-B, W

27

13

13

G

28

16

25

G

29

10

17.5

T-B, W

30

10

18

T, B, W

30

13

21.5

T, W

31

9

25.5

T, B, W (U, L)

31

15

32

G

33

11

16

T, B, T-B, W

34

0.5

21.5

T, B, W

35

8

25.5

T, B, W (U, L)

36

4.5

12.5

T, B, W

37

1.5

6

G

38

3.5

13

T, B, W

39

3.5

12

T, B, W

40

7

18

T, B, W

41

25

25

G

42

23

23

G

43

3

7

T, B, W

45

2.5

12

T, B, W

* Nova Viçosa Reef, entrance of the channel;**Mato Grosso Reef, outer side;*** Parcel das Paredes, Lixa Reef.

collected by other researchers that participated in the RAP
survey (P. C. Paiva and L. Dutra).
The recent intensiﬁcation of underwater scientiﬁc research using scuba at the Abrolhos Bank has contributed toa more detailed exploration of diﬀerent environments. It has
resulted in new records and ﬁndings of species. In almost all
recent ﬁeld trips conducted in this area, new occurrences ofcnidarians have been recorded. An example is a new speciesof Octocorallia, Trichogorgia sp., which is being described
elsewhere. During the RAP survey, another possibly undescribed species was collected, probably also belonging togenus Trichogorgia.

Figure 1. Species richness estimators for the qualitative data gathered during
the RAP Survey. Legends: Sobs = empirical species accumulation curve; ICE =incidence-based coverage estimator; Chao2 = incidence-based coverage estimator;
Cole = Coleman curve, a patchiness indicator; Uniques = number of species
occurring in one station; Duplicates = number of species occurring in two stations.

Figure 2. Species richness estimators for the semi-quantitative data gathered
during the RAP Survey. Legends: Sobs = empirical species accumulation curve;
ACE = abundance-based coverage estimator; Chao2 = incidence-based coverage
estimator; Cole = Coleman curve, a patchiness indicator; Uniques = number of
species occurring in one station; Duplicates = number of species occurring in two
stations.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

21

Chapter 1
T B
G T B W B W

Plots of species richness, species richness estimators (ICE,ACE and Chao2), and unique and duplicate occurrences of
species against increasing cumulative station data (Figs. 1
and 2), indicate that the knowledge gathered on coral species
richness during the RAP Survey is probably nearly complete.
Species observed, ACE, ICE and Chao2 curves converge
to a stable situation after sampling 50 to 60 stations, bothfor qualitative and semi-quantitative data sets (Figs. 1 and
2). Also, the number of “uniques” and “duplicates” tends
towards zero in both data types. The Coleman curve produced with qualitative data is almost identical to the species
observed curve. However, for the semi-quantitative data itlies well below the former two curves. This indicates that
community qualitative data shows almost no patchiness,while some patchiness is expected to occur in the semi-quantitative data (see Heyer et al. 1999). Therefore, these analyses
show that most species are widely distributed over the area
surveyed during the RAP expedition, but their abundance
diﬀers among areas (Table 2). Species also have diﬀerent
densities depending on which part of the reef they were
found to occur (Table 3).
A cluster analysis using coral occurrence data from all
stations indicated diﬀerent communities for each of theseparate areas of reef topography (reef tops and/or borders
and reef walls) (Figure 3).
Further analysis of two main areas of reef topography (topand wall) showed diﬀerent results. The dendrogram resulting from the cluster analysis with data from walls shows ﬁve
main clusters (Fig. 4). However, Euclidean distances among
stations within some groups is high enough to indicate
they represent distinct assemblages (e.g., cluster A–B — allborder-wall stations, and cluster D–F). Three clusters show
a clearer geographic trend (Fig. 5). Cluster H includes moststations comprising reef pinnacles on reefs with bases below
10 m deep. These include most sites in Parcel dos Abrolhos,
Popa Verde, Parcel das Paredes, and Timbebas Reef. Stations in cluster C are located within the Abrolhos Channel,
between Parcel das Paredes and Parcel dos Abrolhos. The
top of the reef pinnacles at these sites are relatively deep,
approximately at 10m depth, and bases below 15 m. Cluster
G comprise sites with shallow reefs in the northern portionof the Abrolhos Bank (tops at 0.5–3 m, bases at 4–7 m).
Biologically, these clusters are characterized by diﬀerent taxa
and/or taxa abundances. Cluster H includes sites with several
common coral species such as Montastrea cavernosa, Mussismilia hispida, Madracis decactis and Agaricia fragilis, but
without any species covering large portions of the substrate
or clearly dominating the others (except for Montastrea
cavernosa in a few sites). In cluster C, the presence of the softcoral Neospongodes atlantica and the gorgonian Phyllogorgia
dilatata is the most noticeable characteristic. Mussismilia
harttii, Montastrea cavernosa, Siderastrea stellata, and Millepora alcicornis are species common in all sites included incluster G.
The dendrogram resulting from the cluster analysis withdata from reef tops shows four main clusters (Fig. 6). Again,

22

Rapid Assessment Program

1
16
19
22
23
23
7
15
19
24
24
29
25
20
33
19
14
17
30
34
18
43
20
33
9
18
21
23
26
30
35
24
33
29
34
35
5
7
16
3
4
3
36
40
38
39
11
45
9
13
25
6
6
13
14
9
39
3
4
3
4
19
1
16
12
21
30
12
17
18
30
34
38
38
39
26
26
35
40
1
43
22
21
35
40
33
36
36
43
45
45

9.00

8.00

7.00

6.00

5.00

4.00

3.00

2.00

1.00

L

L

L

.00

Figure 3. Dendrogram resulting from the cluster analysis of the RAP sites, withsemi-quantitative data from 91 stations in 35 localities. Legends: G = global
evaluation of a locality; T = reef top; B = reef border; W = upper reef wall; L =lower reef wall; T-B = combined reef top and border; B-W = combined reef borderand upper wall.

Figure 4. Dendrogram resulting from the cluster analysis of the RAP sites, with semiquantitative data from reef walls. Legends: W = upper reef wall; L = lower reef wall;
B-W = combined reef border and upper wall; MAP = indication of cluster stations inFigure 5.

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil
Table 2, part 1/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

RAP Site 1
T2; B2
UWp
UW1

T1
UW5

RAP Site 1 (extra)

Tp; Bp; Uwp

T2; B2RAP Site 3
T3; B2; UW2
B1; UW2; LW2

RAP Site 4
T2; B2; UW1
UW2

UW2; LW1

UW1

Tp
B2; UW3; LW3

Tp
UW2

UW2
Tp; BpTp

T3; B2
T2; B2

T2; B2
T2; B2

T2; B2UWp

T1; UWp; LWp

T1

B3; UW3

Tp; UWp

UW3; LW3
B1; LW2
T3; B4; LW1
T3; B2

T1; B1; UW3
T1; B2; UW1
T3; B3

Tp; Bp; UWp

T3; B3; UW3; LW4

T3; B3; UW4

B1
T4; B2
T3; B3T3; B3; UW2

Tp; UWp
Tp; BpT3; B2
T3; B4; LW2
T2; B2; UW2; LW2

T4; B2
T4; B4
T3; B3; UW2

T5; B5; UW4

Tp

T3; B2

T2

Tp
T2; B2; LW1

T2; B2

T1
T2; B1
LW2

T1; BpT2; UW2
Tp

T2; B3Tp
T3; B3; UW4

UW1

T2; B2; UW1
T2; B2UWp

T1; B1
T2; B2; UW2
B1

UWp
Tp; Uwp

Gp
T2; B3; UW2; LW3
T3; B2; LW2

T2; B2; UW2
T3; B3; UW2

T2; B2
23

Tp
11

T2
28

T2; UW2
24

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

23

Chapter 1

Table 2, part 2/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

24

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP Site 5
Gp

RAP Site 6
T2; UW1RAP Site 7
T2

RAP Site 9
T2; B2; UW1

RAP Site 10

RAP Site 11
Bp; UW2

G4

T2
UW2

G2/p

Gp

T2
T1; UW4

UWp

Bp

UW3

Bp; UW3

UW1

T2; UW2

T2

T2; B2Gp

T1; UW2
Gp
Gp

UW2

Gp

T2; UW2

T1; UW2
T1; UWp
T4; UW2

G2/p

UW2

T2; UW2

Tp
T1; UW1
Gp
G2/p

T2; UW2

Gp

T6; UW4

T4
T2; UW2

UW2
UW2

Bp; UW1
Bp; UW2

T4; B3

Bp; UW2
Bp; UW2
Bp
UW1
Bp
Bp; UW2

Tp; UW1
Tp; B4; UW2
T2; B2; UW1

T5; B6; UW1

Gp

Gp
Tp
T2

Bp; UW1

Gp

T1; UWp
T2; UW2

G2/p
LW2/p

UW1
T2; UW2

UW2
T2; UW1

T2; B2; UW2

Gp

Bp; UW1
Bp; UW2

15

T2; UW2
19

T2
14

T3; B3; UW2
14

Gp
4

Bp
15

T2; B2

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil
Table 2, part 3/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW = uper wall; LW =lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

RAP Site 12
T2; B-W2

RAP Site 13
T2; B-W2

RAP Site 13 (extra)
Tp; BWp

RAP Site 14
T2
B-W2

T1

Gp

Gp
Gp
G2

T2; B-W1
B-Wp

T2; B-W2

RAP Site 15
G2

T2; B-W2

T2

G2

T2; B-W2
B-W1

Tp; B-Wp
Tp; B-Wp

B-Wp
B-W2

T2; B-W4

T3; B-W4

Tp

T3; B-W2

G3

T1; B-Wp

B-W1

B-W2

Gp
Gp

T2; B-W2
T2; B-W4
T2; B-W2

B-W2
T2
T1; B-W4
T3

B-Wp
Tp; B-Wp
Tp
Tp; B-Wp
Tp
Tp; B-Wp

T2; B-W1
B-W3
B-W2

Gp
G2
G2

T3; B-W1

T6; B-W4

Tp; B-Wp

T5

Tp; B-Wp

Tp

Gp

T1
T1
T1
T2; B-W2
T2; B-W2

B-W1
T2; B-W2

Tp
Tp

B-W2
T2

Gp

T2; B-W2

T1; B-W2

Tp; B-Wp

T2; B-W2

G2
G2

T2; B-W2
18

T2; B-W2
14

Tp; B-Wp
17

T2
16

Gp
17

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

25

Chapter 1

Table 2, part 4/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

26

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP Site 16
B3
UW1

RAP Site 17
T2
B-W2
B-Wp

RAP Site 18
T2
B-W2

B-Wp

T1; B-W2
B-W1

B2, W6RAP Site 19Gp
B3

T2; B-W2

T2
T2

T2

T2; B-W2

T2

Tp

T1

UW1

B-W2
T2
T1

B4

T2; B-W2

T2; B5; B-W3

B3; W3

Tp; B-W2

B-W1
Bp; B-W3

T2
B2
B3
B3; W2
T3

Tp; B-W2
T2; B-W1
T3; B-W2
T2; B-W2

T2; B2; B-W2
T2; UWp
T2; B3; B-W3
T2; B3; B-W2

B5; W1

T4

T6; B5; B-W2

T1

B2

T2
T2

T2
T2; B2; UW2

Gp
T2
T3
T1; B1
B2

T2; B-W2
T2; B-W2

T2; Bp; B-W2
T2; B-W2

T2
T1

UW1
T1; B3; UW1

B-W2
T2; B-W2

T1; B-W2
T2; B2; B-W2

Gp
T2

B2

Tp; B-W1
19

T2
22

Tp
14

22

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil
Table 2, part 5/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

RAP Site 19 (extra)
T2; B1RAP Site 20
T-B2
UW1

RAP Site 21
T2; B2; UW1
T2; Bp; UWp

RAP Site 22
B-W2
B-Wp

UW1
UWp
T-B2

B-Wp

T2; B2; UWp
UW1
B1

T2; B2; UWp
B1

UW2
B2; UW2
T2; B3; UW2

B4; UW3
B1
T2; B2
T2; B2; UW2
T2; B1; UW2
B2
B1; UW1

B1
T1
T2; B2; UWp
UWp

B2; UW2
T2; B2; UW2

T-B2

T-Bp
UWp
UW2; T-B2
UW2; T-B2
T-B3

UW2; T-B3
UW1
UW2
T-B3
UW2; T-B3
UW5; T-B2

T2; B2; UWp
T2; B2UW2
B2; UW2
T4; B3
T1; B1
T2; B2; UW2
Gp
T2; BpT3; B4; UWp
T2; B3; UW2

T-Bp
T-B1

T2; B2; UW2

UW2; T-B2

B2; UWp

T-B1

UW2; T-Bp
UW2; T-B2
UW1

UW1
T2; B2; UW1
T2; B1Gp
Gp
T1; B2; UW2
T2; B2; UW2
UW2

B-W1

B-W1

T3; B-W4
Tp
B-W4
T2; B-W2
T2
T2; B-W3
T2; B-W3
T3; B-W1
T2
T2; B-W4

T3; B-W3
T2
Tp
B-W1
B-W1

B-W2
T2; B-W2

UW2
UWp
21

T-B2
25

T2; B2; UW1
27

T2; B-W2
23

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

27

Chapter 1

Table 2, part 6/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

28

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP Site 23
T2; Bp; UW2

RAP Site 24
T2; B2; UW1

RAP Site 25
T-B2

RAP Site 26
T2; B2; UW2

T-B1

T2

T2; B2
B1

UW2

T-Bp
UW2

T1

UW1

T2; B2
T1

UW1; T-B2
UW1; T-Bp

T2; B2; UW2
T2; B2

UW2; T-B1

T1

UW2
UWp; T-B1
UW2; T-B2

UW2

B1
UW2
B1
B3

UW2
Tp; B2; UW1
T2; B4

T2
T2; UW3

T2; B2
T1; B2; UW3

B2
T2; B2
T2; B3
T2; B2; UW2

T2
T2; B2; UW1
T2; B2; UW2

T2; B2Gp

UW2; T-Bp
UW2
UW1
UW2; T-Bp
UW2; T-Bp
UW2
UW2; T-B6

Uwp

T2; B3

T2; B2; UW2

T3; B2
T2; B2
T2; B2; UW2

T4; B3; UW1

T2; B2
T2; B2
T2; BpB2
T2; B2UW2UW2; T-B1
T-Bp

Tp; B1; UW1

UW2
T2; B2; UW1

UW2
UW2
T-B2

T2; B1; UW2
T2; B2; UW2

22

14

24

T2; B1
16

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil
Table 2, part 7/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

RAP Site 27

RAP Site 28

RAP Site 29
T2

RAP Site 30
T2; B2; UW2; LW2
B2; UW2; LW2

RAP Site 31
Gp

RAP Site 33
T2
Bp

Gp
Gp
Gp
T2

T2; B2

T2; B1
Gp
Gp

Gp

Gp

T2
T1

T2; B1; LW1

UWp

T1; B1

T1; UW2

T2; B1; LW1
LW1
T2; B3

T5; UWp

Gp

Gp

Gp

T2; UW2
UWp
T2
T2
T2
T2; UWp

T2; B2; UW2; LW2
UW1
T3; B2
T2; B2; LW2
T2; UW2; LW2

B2; UW2
T-B1

Gp
Gp
Gp

Gp
Gp

Gp
Gp

T3; B3; UW1; LW1

Gp
Gp

T1; LW2

Gp

Gp

T1; B1; UW2; LW2
T2; B2; UW2; LW2

Gp

T2; B2; UW2
T2; UW1
T2
T2; B2
T2; B3; UW2
B2; UW3
T2; B2

Gp
Gp

Gp

UW2
T-B1
T3; B3

Gp
Gp
Gp
Gp

T2; B2; UW2
T2; Uwp
Uwp
T2
T2

UW2; T-B1
T2; B2; UW1

Gp
Gp
5

8

13

T2; B2; UW2; LW2
18

19

22

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

29

Chapter 1

Table 2, part 8/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

30

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP Site 34
T2; B2UW2RAP Site 35
T2; B2; LW1
UW1; LW1RAP Site 36
T2; B2UW2RAP Site 37
Gp

UW2

T1
UW1

B2

T1; B1
UW2
UW1

T2; B2
Tp; B1

T2; B2
T1

T2; B2
B1

T2

T1; B2; UW1

T1

UW2
B1
T2; B2UW2
B1; LW1
T2; B3

B2; UW2
T2; UWp
T3; B3; UW2

Gp
Gp
Gp

T2; B2; UW2

T2; B2; UW1; LW2

T2; B1
T3; B2; UW3

Gp

T3
T2; B3
T2; B2

T3
T3; B3
T2; B2; LW2

T2; UWp
T2; B2
T3; B3; UW1
T2; B2; UW2

Gp
Gp
Gp
Gp

T2

T4; B3; LW1

Gp
T2; B2

T2

T2; B2
UW1

Gp

Gp
Gp

T2; B2; UW2
Bp
UWp
B1
T2; B2; UW1

Gp
Gp
Gp
Gp
Gp

Gp
Gp

Gp
B2; UW2
T3; B3; UWp

T2; B1; UW2; LW2
T2; B2; LW1

T1; B2; UW2
T2; B2; UW2
UW2
UW1

T2; B1
19

T2; B220

T2; UW1
30

19

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil
Table 2, part 9/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

RAP Site 38
T2; B2UW2RAP Site 39
T2; B2; UWp
UW2

RAP Site 40
T2; B2UW2RAP Site 41

RAP Site 42

Gp

T1; B1UW2UWp
T1; B2
UW1

Uwp
Tp

UW1
T1
B1; UW2

Gp

UW1

T2; B2
T1

T2; B2
T1

T2; B1

T1

B1; UW2
Uwp
T3; B4

UW2
T1
T2; B4

UW1
UW2
T1; B1; UW1
T2; B3; UW1

T2; B2; UW2

T2; UW3

T2; B2; UW3

Uwp
T3; B2
T3; B3
T2; B2; UW2

T2
T2; UW1
T2; B1; UW2

T3
T4; B3; UW1
T2; B2; UW2
Tp; B1; UW2

T4; B4

T4; B5; UW1

T5; B4; UW1
UW1
Gp
B1

Gp
UW1

T2; B2; UW1
T2

Tp
T1; B1
T2; B2

UW1
T2; B1

T2; B1
T1; B1Gp

Gp
T1; B2; UWp
T2; B2; UW1
Uwp
B1
UW2

UW2
T2; UW2
UW1
UWp
UW2

T1; B2; UW2
T2; B2; UW2
UW2
UWp
B1; UW2

T2; B2; UWp
28

T2; B226

T2; Bp; UWp
30

Gp

Gp
Gs

Gp
Gp

Gp

Gp
Gp

Gp
Gp

Gp

Gp
Gp

3

12

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

31

Chapter 1

Table 2, part 10/10. Species or categories of Cnidaria recorded in each RAP Site, with details of distribution and abundance. Legends: T = top; B = border; G = general; UW =uper wall; LW = lower wall; p = presence (without quantiﬁcation); 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 = >50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Aiptasia pallida
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Bellactis ilkalyseae
Carijoa riisei
Ceriantharia
Cirrhipathes secchini
Condylactis gigantea
Discosoma carlgreni
Discosoma sanctithomae
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Heterogorgia uatumani
Homostichanthus duerdeni
Lebrunia spp.
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa spp.
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Rhizopsammia goesi
Rhizosmilia maculata
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.
Number of Species/Categories

32

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP Site 43
T2; B2UWp
UW1

RAP Site 45
T2; B2UW2

Gp
T2; B2
UW2

T2; B2Bp

T2; B2Tp

T2; B2

T3; B3; UW2

T2; B1UW1
UW2UW1
T2; B4; UW1

T2; UW2
T2; B2; UW2

T3; B2; UWp
T2; B2; UW2

T2
T2; B3
T2; B3; UW3
T2; B2; UW2

B2
T3; B1
T3; B4; UW2
T2; B2; UW2

UW2

Figure 5. Groups of RAP sites obtained through the cluster analysis, with data fromreef walls.
T
T B MAP

22SG

A

16PS
19RL

B

33NAB23SPA

C

07PV
20RPG
19RL

D

24OPA
29OPN

UWp
T4; B5; UW2

06CV
13MG

T2; B3

09GUA

E

14PB
25CA
03PV

T2; B1; UW1

T2; B1; UW1
T1; B2

04PV
21LPA
12PAT
17PC

T2; B2
T2; B2; UW2

T2; B1
T2; B2

18CI
30PAB
34PAB

F

01NV
38SRT
39NRT

T1; B1; UW2
T2; B2; UW2
UW1

B2; UW2
T2; B2; UW2

26PAB
35PAB
40CRT
33NAB
36LL
43RA
45PL

9.00

T2
23

T2; B2
26

8.00

7.00

6.00

5.00

4.00

3.00

2.00

1.00

.00

Euclidean Distance

Figure 6. Dendrogram resulting from the cluster analysis of the RAP sites, withdata from reef tops or top-borders. Legends: T = reef top; T-B = combined reef top
and border; MAP = indication of cluster stations in Figure 7.

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil
Table 3. Occurrence and abundance of cnidarians in the Abrolhos area covered by the RAP Survey, grouped by sites, stations, and reef features (top, border, and wall). Occur. =number (n) and frequency (%) of stations where the taxa occurred; Abund. = number of stations with semi-quantitative data (n) and average estimated abundance (x). Numbers
on ﬁrst line indicate total number of stations in a particular analysis. Grading system: 1 = rare-sparse; 2 = common; 3 = 1-5% bottom coverage; 4 = 5-25%; 5 = 25-50%; 6 =>50%.

Species
Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis
Tanacetipathes barbadensis
Antipathes sp. (fan)Astrangia solitaria
Carijoa riisei
Cirrhipathes secchini
Favia gravida
Favia leptophylla
Lophogorgia punicea
Madracis decactis
Meandrina braziliensis
Millepora alcicornis
Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida
Montastrea cavernosa
Muricea ﬂamma
Muriceopsis sulphurea
Mussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii
Mussismilia hispida
Neospongodes atlantica
Olindagorgia gracilis
Palythoa caribaeorum
Parazoanthus sp.
Phyllangia americana
Phyllogorgia dilatata
Plexaurella grandiﬂora
Plexaurella regia
Porites astreoides
Porites branneri
Scolymia wellsi
Siderastrea stellata
Stephanocoenia intersepta
Stylaster roseus
Stephanogorgia sp.
Trichogorgia sp.
Zoanthus spp.

Sites=44

Stn=104

Occur.

Occur.

n
35
20
5
1
8
26
8
36
18
9
37
22
37
2
9
39
8
22
32
36
42
8
6
33
5
6
26
15
11
30
30
32
42
10
5
5
1
32

%
79.5
45.5
11.4
2.3
18.2
59.1
18.2
81.8
40.9
20.5
84.1
50.0
84.1
4.5
20.5
88.6
18.2
50.0
72.7
81.8
95.5
18.2
13.6
75.0
11.4
13.6
59.1
34.1
25.0
68.2
68.2
72.7
95.5
22.7
11.4
11.4
2.3
72.7

n
68
27
6
1
7
36
8
65
24
11
50
36
72
3
15
85
9
28
51
73
93
13
8
64
6
3
43
18
13
53
46
61
92
10
5
7
1
57

%
65.4
26.0
5.8
1.0
6.7
34.6
7.7
62.5
23.1
10.6
48.1
34.6
69.2
2.9
14.4
81.7
8.7
26.9
49.0
70.2
89.4
12.5
7.7
61.5
5.8
2.9
41.3
17.3
12.5
51.0
44.2
58.7
88.5
9.6
4.8
6.7
1.0
54.8

Top=32
Occur.

n28
1------3
--26
12
1
6
7
29
2
7
22
1
11
28
28
29
3
3
26
--1
14
8
7
21
20
12
30
--------26

%
87.5
3.1
------9.4--81.3
37.5
3.1
18.8
21.9
90.6
6.3
21.9
68.8
3.1
34.4
87.5
87.5
90.6
9.4
9.4
81.3
--3.1
43.8
25.0
21.9
65.6
62.5
37.5
93.8
--------81.3

Border=23
Abund.

n27
1------2
--26
10
--4
6
28
1
6
20
--8
26
25
27
2
3
24
----11
8
5
19
18
12
28
--------22

x
2.0
2.0
------1.5
--2.0
1.5
--1.3
1.3
2.6
3.0
2.0
2.1
--2.0
2.4
2.5
2.1
3.0
2.0
3.6
----2.0
1.9
1.2
1.8
1.9
1.3
2.0
--------2.0

Occur.

n
18
5
----1
7
--21
9
1
6
9
21
1
4
20
1
6
14
21
22
2
2
17
1
--11
4
2
14
11
15
20
1
1
1
--14

%
17.0
5.0
----1.0
6.0--20.0
9.0
1.0
5.0
9.0
20.0
1.0
4.0
19.0
1.0
5.0
13.0
20.0
21.0
2.0
2.0
16.0
1.0
--11.0
4.0
2.0
13.0
10.0
14.0
19.0
--1.0
1.0
--13.0Wall=30

Abund.

n
17
5
----1
5
--20
9
1
5
9
20
1
4
18
1
5
13
20
20
2
2
16
1
--11
4
2
13
10
14
19
--1
1
--13

x
16.0
4.0
----1.0
4.0--19.0
8.0
1.0
5.0
8.0
19.0
--4.0
17.0
1.0
5.0
12.0
19.0
19.0
2.0
2.0
15.0
1.0
--10.0
4.0
2.0
12.0
10.0
13.0
18.0
--1.0
1.0
--13.0Occur.

n
13
17
5
--4
20
6
9
1
5
27
14
10
--2
28
4
6
3
13
26
4
2
11
3
1
10
2
3
9
5
25
25
7
3
4
--9

%
13.0
16.0
5.0
--4.0
19.0
6.0
9.0
1.0
5.0
26.0
14.0
10.0
--2.0
27.0
4.0
6.0
3.0
13.0
25.0
4.0
2.0
10.0
3.0
--10.0
2.0
3.0
8.0
5.0
25.0
24.0
7.0
3.0
4.0
--9.0

Abund.

n
13
16
5
--4
18
6
9
1
5
25
14
10
--2
26
4
6
3
12
25
4
2
10
3
--10
2
3
7
5
24
23
7
3
4
--9

x
13.0
15.0
4.0
--4.0
17.0
6.0
9.0
1.0
5.0
24.0
13.0
9.0
--2.0
25.0
4.0
6.0
3.0
11.0
24.0
4.0
2.0
10.0
3.0
--9.0
2.0
3.0
7.0
4.0
23.0
22.0
7.0
3.0
4.0
--9.0

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

33

Chapter 1

Euclidean distances among stations within some groups ishigh enough to indicate they comprise distinct assemblages(e.g., cluster A–B and cluster C–D). The stations of thelargest cluster, F (comprising 18 or 55% of all stations),
were distributed throughout the entire sampled area (Fig. 7).
This result indicates that a “basic” reef community on the
top of reefs is widespread all over the bank. However, twoother smaller clusters showed geographic trends: cluster D
occurred on reef pinnacles in the Parcel das Paredes and its
neary vicinity, and cluster E captured mostly sites with reef
platforms closer to shore. Reef top clusters can be further
diﬀerentiated by the degree they are covered by Palythoa
caribaeorum, and also the abundance of corals. Cluster F
showed high coverage of P. caribaeorum and corals (especially
Mussismilia braziliensis, Mussismilia harttii, and Millepora
alcicornis). In contrast, cluster E is mostly dominated by
P. caribaeorum. Among the stations where this zoanthid was
almost rare, cluster D had higher live coral cover (especially
Millepora alcicornis and Mussismilia harttii), and cluster B
had less.
Analyses of species distributions on the Abrolhos Bank
revealed that reef areas varied in species abundance and/or
occurrence. Most species are widely and almost uniformly
distributed over the reef complex, such as Favia gravida(Fig. 8), Mussismilia harttii (Fig. 9), Mussismilia hispida (Fig.
10), and Phyllogorgia dilatata (Fig. 11). Mussismilia braziliensis and Palythoa caribaeorum are widespread over the reef
complex, but the ﬁrst is more abundant in the south (Fig.
12) (Popa Verde and Parcel dos Abrolhos), while the latter
dominates the reefs closer to shore (Fig. 13). These species
are predominantly found on reef tops.
Agaricia fragilis, predominantly found on reef walls, isalso a widespread species, but occurs mainly on deeper reefs(Fig. 14). Some species were observed only in sites withina triangle delimited by the Timbebas Reef in the north,
Parcel dos Abrolhos in the east, and Popa Verde in the south(with Parcel das Paredes in the center). The best example ofthis pattern is Favia leptophylla (Fig. 15). Rarer species that
occurred within this triangle showed even more restricteddistributions. Black corals (Figs. 16 and 17) and Stephanocoenia intersepta (Fig. 18) did not occur in the Parcel dos
Abrolhos, except for a single station at its edge (California
Reef ). Plexaurella regia, a species endemic to the Abrolhos
area, occurred mostly in Parcel das Paredes (Fig. 19). Millepora nitida was recorded mainly on the inner side of reefsof the inner coastal arc (Fig. 20).
Simpler data (presence-absence) may suggest that coral
distributions in the Abrolhos reef complex are nearly homogeneous. Most species are widespread all over the bank, butseveral of the analyses indicated diﬀerent degrees of heterogeneity in species and community distribution. Individual
species showed restricted or preferential distributions, andcommunities varied in the dominance of species in diﬀerent
areas of the reef complex. These geographic variations or particularities should be taken into account in developing soundmanagement and conservation plans for the Abrolhos area.

34

Rapid Assessment Program

Figure 7. Groups of RAP sites obtained through the cluster analysis, with data fromreef tops.

Figure 8. Distribution and relative abundance of Favia gravida in the RAP sites.

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil

AbsentPresent
SparseCover 1-5%
Cover 5-25%

Mussismilia harttii

Figure 9. Distribution and relative abundance of Mussismilia harttii in the RAP
sites.

Figure 11. Distribution and relative abundance of Phyllogorgia dilatata in the RAP
sites.

Figure 10. Distribution and relative abundance of Mussismilia hispida in the RAP
sites.

Figure 12. Distribution and relative abundance of Mussismilia braziliensis in the
RAP sites.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

35

Chapter 1

Figure 13. Distribution and relative abundance of Palythoa caribaeorum in the
RAP sites.

Figure 14. Distribution and relative abundance of Agaricia fragilis in the RAP sites.

36

Rapid Assessment Program

Figure 15. Distribution and relative abundance of Favia leptophylla in the RAP
sites.

Figure 16. Distribution and relative abundance of Tanacetipathes barbadensis
in the RAP sites.

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil

Figure 17. Distribution and relative abundance of Cirrhipathes secchiniin the RAP sites.

Figure 18. Distribution and relative abundance of Stephanocoenia intersepta
in the RAP sites.

Figure 19. Distribution and relative abundance of Plexaurella regia in the RAP sites.

Figure 20. Distribution and relative abundance of Millepora nitida in the RAP sites.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

37

Chapter 1

Several major reefs within the Abrolhos Bank are insideprotected areas: Parcel dos Abrolhos and Timbebas Reef
(National Park), Itacolomis (Fishery Reserve), and mostother coastal reefs are in the Área de Proteção Ambiental da
Ponta da Baleia (Environmental Protection Area — EPA).
As demonstrated here, each of these protected areas harbor
diverse and/or unique communities. All these diﬀerent
assemblages will only be fully protected from predatory or
harmful activities if conservation initiatives integrate analyses
and actions simultaneously within the three protected areas.
Currently, the areas with the most urgent need for such a
program are Parcel das Paredes and Popa Verde reefs, bothin the EPA, which does not even have a management plan.
These reefs include main populations of several species in the
Abrolhos bank, such as Stephanocoenia intersepta, Millepora
nitida, black corals, and others.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the Brazilian Environmental Agency (IBAMA),
for the license to conduct research in a Federal Conservation
Unit; the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq), Riode Janeiro State Science Foundation (FAPERJ), FundaçãoO Boticário de Proteção à Natureza, Fundação Universitária
José Bonifácio, and Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
for grants and fellowships that helped the development of
the current study.
REFERENCESBRASIL-MMA-IBAMA. 1989. Lista Oﬁcial de Fauna Ameaçada de Extinção. Portaria 1.522, December 19th, 1989.
http://www.ibama.gov.br/fauna/extincao.htm.
Cairns, S. D. 1977. Stony corals. I. Caryophylliina and Dendrophylliina (Anthozoa: Scleractinia). Mem. Hourglass
Cruises 3(4): 1–27.
Cairns, S. D. 2000. A revision of the shallow-water azooxanthellate Scleractinia of the Western Atlantic. Studies
on the Natural History of the Caribbean Region 75.
Uitgaven Natuurwetenschappelijke Studiekring voor hetCaraïbisch Gebied 143: 1–231.
Castro, C. B. 1989. A new species of Plexaurella Valenciennes, 1855 (Coelenterata, Octocorallia), from theAbrolhos Reefs, Bahia, Brazil. Revta bras. Biol. 49(2):597–603.
Castro, C. B. 1990. Revisão Taxonômica dos Octocorallia(Cnidaria, Anthozoa) do Litoral Sul-americano: da foz do
Rio Amazonas à foz do Rio da Prata. Ph.D. thesis. São
Paulo: Universidade de São Paulo.
Castro, C. B. 1994. Corals of Southern Bahia. In: Hetzel, B.
and C. B. Castro (eds.). Corals of Southern Bahia. Riode Janeiro: Nova Fronteira. Pp. 160–176.

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Rapid Assessment Program

Castro, C. B. and D. O. Pires. 2001. Brazilian coral reefs:
what we already know and what is still missing. Bulletinof Marine Science 69 (2): 357–371.
Chao, A. 1987. Estimating the population size for capturerecapture data with unequal catchability. Biometrics 43:
783–791.
Chao, A., M., C. Ma, and M. C. K Yang. 1993. Stopping
rules and estimation for recapture debugging with unequal failure rates. Biometrika 80: 193–201.
Coleman, B. D., M. A. Mares, M. R. Willig and C.–Y. Kuo.
1982. On random placement and species-area relation.
Mathematical Biosciences 54: 191–215.
Colwell, R. K. 1997. Estimates: statistical estimation of
species richness and shared species from samples. Version
5.0.1. User’s guide and application published at http://
viceroy.eeb.uconn.edu/estimates.
Colwell, R. K. and J. A. Coddington. 1994. Estimating
terrestrial biodiversity through extrapolation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (Series B) 345:
101–118.
Heyer, W. R., J. Coddington, W. J. Kress, P. Acevedo, D.
Cole, T. L. Erwin, B. J. Meggers, M. G. Pogue, R. W.
Thorington, R. P. Vari, M. J. Weitzman, and S. H.
Weitzman. 1999. Amazonian biotic data and conservation decisions. Ciência e Cultura 51 (5/6): 372–385.
Laborel, J. 1969. Madreporaires et hydrocorallaiaires récifaux
des côtes Brasiliennes. Systématic, écologie, répartition
verticale et geographique. Annls Inst océanogr. Paris. 47:
171–229.
Laborel, J. 1970. Les peuplements de madréporaires descotes tropicales du Brésil. Annls Univ. Abidjan (Ser. E)
2(3): 1–260.
Leão, Z. M. A. N. 1982. Morphology, geology, and developmental history of the southernmost coral reefs ofWestern Atlantic, Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. Ph.D. thesis.
Miami: University of Miami.
Leão, Z. M. A. N. 1994. The coral reefs of Southern Bahia.
In: Hetzel, B. and C. B. Castro (eds.). Corals of Southern Bahia. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira. Pp. 151–159.
Leão, Z. M. A. N. 1996. The coral reefs of Bahia: morphology, distribution and the major environmental impacts.
Anais Acad. bras. Ciênc. 68(3): 339–452.
Leão, Z. M. A. N. and R. N. Ginsburg. 1997. Living reefs
surrounded by siliciclastic sediments: the Abrolhos coastal
reefs, Bahia, Brazil. Proceedings of the 8th Intertnational.
Coral Reef Symposium. 2: 1767–1772.
Leão, Z. M. A. N., T. M. F. Araújo, and M. C. Nolasco.
1988. The coral reefs oﬀ the coast of eastern Brazil. Proceedings of the. 6th Intertnational Coral Reef Symposium. 3: 339–347.
Lee, S.-M. and A.Chao. 1994. Estimating population size
via sample coverage for closed capture-recapture models.
Biometrics 50: 88–97.
Marques, A. C. S. J. and C. B. Castro. 1995. Muricea (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) from Brazil, with description of a
new species. Bulletin of Marine Science 56(1): 161–172.

Distribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil

Paulay, G. 1997. Diversity and distribution of reef organisms. In: Birkeland, C. (ed). Life and death of coral reefs.
New York: Chapman and Hall. Pp. 298–353.
Rohlfs-de-Macedo, C. M. 1986. Microanatomia e sistemática de Zoanthus Lamarck, 1801 (Cnidaria, Anthozoa,
Zoanthidea) do litoral e ilhas oceânicas do Brasil. M.Sc.
thesis. Rio de Janeiro: Museu Nacional, Universidade
Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
Scheer, G. 1978. Application of phytosociologic methods.
In: Stoddart, D. R. and R.E. Johannes, R. E. (eds.).
Coral reefs. Research Methods. Paris: UNESCO.
Veron, J. E. N. 2000. Corals of the world. Volume 2. Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science. 429 pp.
Villaça, R. C. and F. B. Pitombo. 1997. Benthic communities of shallow-water reefs of Abrolhos, Brazil. Revta bras.
Oceanogr. 45(1/2): 35–43.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

39

Chapter 2
Reef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos
Region, Brazil
Rodrigo L. Moura and Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho

SUMMARY

40

Rapid Assessment Program•

A checklist of reef and shore ﬁshes was compiled for the Abrolhos region, located in thesouthern part of Bahia State, Brazil. Data from the Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) survey was combined with data from four previous surveys and one subsequent ﬁeld trip, fora total of 748 visual census stations and 77 collection stations assessed over approximately
90 days.

•

The species list is primarily based on visual censuses and specimens collected from reef
habitats, combined with collections from mangrove swamps and nearshore trawling
grounds, as well as records of artisanal ﬁsheries landings at Caravelas and Corumbau.
A survey of the sparse literature records and museum specimens deposited at the Museude Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP) and at the Museu de História Natural da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (ZUEC) complemented the checklist. A few
specimens collected in Bahia during the 19th century by the steamer Albatross, depositedat the National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Smithsonian Institution, were also
examined.

•

The reef and shore ﬁsh fauna of the Abrolhos region consists of more than 266 species. Although reef ﬁsh species are relatively well known from this region (except on theoutermost parts of the Bank), there is still scope for additional shore ﬁsh inventories.
Fifteen species of ﬁshes were documented in Abrolhos for the ﬁrst time during the expedition, eight of which are described elsewhere. At least one coral reef ﬁsh species, a cryptic
viviparous brotula belonging to genus Ogilbia (family Bythitidae), seems to be endemic to
Abrolhos.

•Based on presence/absence data from all surveys, ﬁve major faunal assemblages were detected, corresponding to the major areas and habitat types of Abrolhos (Mangrove/Estuaries, Oﬀshore Reefs, Northern Reefs, Archipelago Area, and Pinnacle Reefs).

•

Considering only the RAP survey data, species numbers recorded at each area ranged
from 18 to 50. The richest point was Site 43 on Lixa Reef, while the poorest was Site 35
on “Parcel dos Abrolhos." However, for comparative purposes, RAP data alone is limited
due to diﬀerent sampling eﬀorts at each site.

•

Species richness estimates for the more intensively sampled reef areas (Archipelago, Paredes, Timbebas, Popa Verde, Parcel dos Abrolhos, Itacolomis, and Caladas) were obtained
from quantitative data derived from visual censuses. These data indicate that the Archipelago (inshore) and Caladas Falsas (oﬀshore) were the richest areas, with estimates ranging
from 53 to 64 species. For individual habitats, species richness estimates ranged from

Reef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

48 to 60 (Timbebas reef interfaces and tops, respectively). Diversity and evenness parameters were compared
for inshore habitats and areas.
•

Multiple factors seem to inﬂuence the diﬀerences in
the composition and diversity of local assemblages.
These factors, not exhaustively explored herein, include
reef morphology, distance from the coast (inﬂuence of
terrigenous sediments), distance from the continental
slope, complexity of the reef structure (pinnacle shape),
extent and nature of marginal habitats (e.g., seagrassbeds, muddy/silt bottoms), and ﬁsheries pressure (protected versus open areas).

•

As is typical for most reefs on the Brazilian continental
plate, species richness and abundance of planktivores
are relatively low when compared to those of Caribbean
and Indo-Paciﬁc reefs.

•

Spatial patterns of ﬁsh abundance in inshore reefs were
explored using one-factor ANOVA, with area as themain eﬀect. Higher densities were consistently foundin the richest areas (Archipelago), which are also themost protected. In addition, signiﬁcant diﬀerences inﬁsh density between habitats (reef tops and walls) were
found in all coral reef pinnacle areas except in the Archipelago. Reef morphology seems to be an importantfactor determining variation in ﬁsh abundance.

•

The broad continental platform of the Abrolhos Bank
represents the largest shallow-water area in the tropical Southwestern Atlantic, and the presence and close
proximity of mangroves, muddy/silt bottoms, sand ﬂats,
seagrass beds, coralline algae bottoms, rocky bottoms
and coral reefs result in an intricate mosaic of habitats
and associated ﬁsh assemblages. Abrolhos contains a
representative sample of Brazil’s endemic ﬁsh fauna,
including approximately 80% of all ﬁsh species endemic
to southwestern Atlantic reefs.

•

The unique coral reefs of Brazil are a global conservation
priority, with high percentages of endemism (including
more than 20% of its reef ﬁsh species) concentrated inonly 0.4% of global reef area.

•

Despite logging more than 90 days of intensive
surveys, we failed to report any occurrence of therainbow parrotﬁsh (Scarus guacamaia), a species listed
as “vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Its status needs to be up-dated together withother ﬁsh species from Bahia and Brazil.

•

The development of a long-term biodiversity monitoring program for the Abrolhos Bank that includes reefﬁshes is strongly recommended. Such a program would
result in an evaluation of current conservation strategies,

besides furnishing essential data for understanding the
temporal dynamics of Abrolhos’ coral reef communities.
Immediate and cumulative eﬀects of major industrial
activities such as cellulose production, shrimp farming,channel dredging, navigation and oil drilling, are still
poorly understood in Abrolhos, and there is a great needfor a continuous evaluation of such impacts at the local
and regional scales, encompassing a broad taxonomic
spectrum of indicator organisms. Catch (and ﬁsheries
eﬀort) data is also greatly needed in order to evaluate
trends in Abrolhos reef ﬁsheries, as well as the eﬀects ofmarine protected areas on adjacent ﬁshing grounds.
INTRODUCTION

The reef and shore ﬁsh inventory presented herein summarizes several recent assessments of ﬁsh biodiversity in the
Abrolhos region, the largest and southernmost coral reefsof the Western Atlantic (Leão et al. 2003). Since 1997,
through projects funded by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) and by the Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (MCT), the authors haveconducted reef ﬁsh research and biodiversity inventories insouthern Bahia (e.g., Moura et al. 1999; Sazima et al. 1999;
Francini-Filho and Moura 2000). The Rapid Assessment
Program (RAP) survey of the Abrolhos region provided theultimate motivation for the present compilation of reef andshore ﬁsh diversity from southern Bahia (also see Menezes
et al. 2003).
The main goal of this chapter is to provide an updated
inventory of reef ﬁsh species inhabiting the Abrolhos region.
Only scattered information about Abrolhos’ ﬁshes is available, in the form of lists of material procured on major
expeditions that spent a few days in the area (e.g., Roux
1973), ﬁsheries reports (e.g., Paiva and Fonteles-Filho 1997),
or unpublished theses (e.g., Nunan 1979; Telles 1998). A
broad survey of ﬁsh larvae was also carried out in the Abrolhos region (Nonaka 2000), resulting in several records ofbathypelagic ﬁshes. Kikuchi et al. (2003) provided baseline
quantitative information on selected reef ﬁsh species as partof the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Program(Lang 2003). Costa et al. (2005) provided a summary of
the status of reef ﬁsheries in Abrolhos, showing that moststocks are overexploited. When pertinent and not redundantwith our data, we included records from these sources in ourchecklist. Fishes that live in mangrove swamps, muddy/siltbottoms and seagrass beds were also included in the inventory, but sampling eﬀort in these habitats was limited. A listof museum specimens is included in the checklist, aiding
further retrieval of information and the reﬁnement of species
identiﬁcations as taxonomic knowledge improves.
The integration of data from a larger sampling programwith the RAP results allowed us to incorporate some topics
not usually explored in rapid biodiversity surveys. Species
richness and diversity estimates are presented for the areas

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

41

Chapter 2

from which we have an adequate number of standardized
samples. We hope this information will serve as a baseline for
future assessments in the Abrolhos region (also see Kikuchi
et al. 2003).
METHODS

Between 1997 and 2001, the authors have conducted six
sampling trips including the RAP survey in February 2000
(Table 1), accumulating data from 748 visual census and 77
collecting stations. This involved approximately 90 days ofﬁeldwork and 220 hours of underwater assessment.
Qualitative assessment involved a variety of methods,
including the use of spears, hook-and-line, hand nets, gillnets and a small number of rotenone stations. In addition tovisual observations, we used video and photographic records(methods detailed in Baldwin et al. 1996). Large and/or highly mobile ﬁsh were not collected due to logistical constraints;
their records were based on underwater sightings veriﬁed byeye, video or using still photography. Collected specimens
are deposited at the Museu de Zoologia, Universidade deSão Paulo (MZUSP) and at the Museu de História Natural,
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (ZUEC), Brazil.
Quantitative assessment consisted of visual censuses, witha method adapted to local conditions from Bohnsack and
Bannerot’s (1986) “Stationary Sampling”. The visual survey
was conducted in randomly selected points, in three distinct
habitats within nine areas (Parcel das Paredes, Parcel dos
Abrolhos, Itacolomis Reefs, Timbebas Reefs, Popa Verde
Reefs, Caladas Falsas, and Siriba, Redonda and St. Barbara
Islands; see map). In each habitat, divers surveyed 10–80
replicated nested cylindrical plots with 2 and 4 m radius.

Each sample started with an identiﬁcation period of ﬁveminutes, in which all species within the cylinder were listed.
After this period, quantitative data was recorded from the
top to the bottom of the list, in a single 360° rotation foreach species at each cylinder radius. An acrylic graduatedrule was used to estimate individual ﬁsh sizes and the cylinder diameter was depicted by a tape rule laid immediately
before the census. Diﬀerent size classes of ﬁshes were counted in each sampling radius, with the application of a boundary size for individuals to be included in each count. In the
2-m radius only individuals with a total length (TL) of ≤10
cm were counted and in the 4-m radius only individuals >10
cm TL were counted1. Thus, each sample unit consisted oftwo sets of data. The minimum size speciﬁcation (Bellwood
and Alcala 1988) of 1 cm TL, below which individuals
were not counted in both sampling radii, was arbitrarily set
for species with Lmax <15 cm TL (gobioids, blennioids andpomacentrids, except Microspathodon). For other species(Lmax >15 cm TL) the minimum size was set at 2 cm.
Data analysis

A classiﬁcation of the major reef ﬁsh assemblages wasproduced by cluster analysis, using a similarity matrix basedon presence/absence data derived from visual censuses andchecklists obtained through direct observations made at eachsite. The amalgamation rule used was single linkage (nearest
neighbor) and the dissimilarity index employed was Euclidean (Geometric) Distance.
Species richness was estimated from visual census data, using the Incidence-based Coverage Estimator (ICE) (Chazdon
et al. 1998). This estimator is based on the statistical conceptof “sample coverage,” deﬁned as the sum of the probabilities
of encounter for the species observed, taking into accountTable 1. Sampling effort for the present compilation.

Field Trip # Period

Sampling Effort

Sponsors

1

January,
1997

12 collecting stations on coral reefs and several trawls oncoastal habitats.

FAPESP

2

January,
1998

5 collecting stations and 9 “pilot” visual censuses on thearchipelago area.

FAPESP

3

March/
April, 1999

36 collecting stations and 515 visual census stations oncoral reefs.

MCT and FAPESP

4

November,1999

10 collecting stations, 13 visual census stations in
Itacolomis Reefs and several trawls on coastal habitats.

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL and
IBAMA

5

February,2000

14 collecting stations and 162 visual census stations oncoral reefs (Abrolhos RAP survey).

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

6

February,
2001

58 visual census stations on oﬀshore reefs.

CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL and
FAPESP1

The abbreviations SL, TL and DW used in the text refer to standard length, total length and disk width, respectively (see Hubbs and Lagler
1974).

42

Rapid Assessment ProgramReef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

species present but not observed (Chazdon et al. 1998). The
algorithms and the strategy of randomization, as well as theestimator evaluation, are detailed in Colwell and Coddington (1994) and Chazdon et al. (1998). Species richness was
ﬁrst estimated for each habitat separately (tops, walls, andthe area between the reef and adjacent soft bottom, hereafterreferred to as “interface”), and pooled estimates were subsequently calculated for each area, with and without interface
data. These separate estimates were necessary because wewere not able to sample interface habitats in some areas.
Calculations were performed with the program EstimateS,
version 5.0 (Colwell 1997), with the option of 50 randomizations. In addition, diversity and evenness parameters also
were calculated using the program BioDiversity Pro (McAlecee et al. 1997).
The null hypothesis of equal ﬁsh abundance between
diﬀerent regions within inshore reefs was tested with oneway ANOVA, with regions as the main eﬀect (St. Barbara,
Siriba and Redonda Islands, Itacolomis, Parcel dos Abrolhos,
Paredes, Timbebas, and Popa Verde). In addition to the
ANOVA, we used the Tukey Test as a post hoc comparison ofmeans (Spjøtvoll and Stoline 1973). Between-habitat diﬀerences in ﬁsh density (tops and walls) within each region wereassessed using a t test (Zar 1984). Prior to the analyses, data
were square root transformed, meeting the assumption ofhomogeneity of variances (Levene´s test >0.05). Data fromthe oﬀshore reefs (Caladas Falsas) were not included in theseanalyses, as reef morphology and ﬁsh fauna in these reefs ishighly dissimilar from those of other areas.

surveys or derived from reliable literature records. Fifteen
new ﬁsh species records for the Abrolhos Bank were foundduring the expedition, eight of which are described elsewhere (Heiser et al. 2000; Moura et al. 2001; Gasparini etal. 2001, 2003; Feitoza 2002; Sazima et al. 2002; Guimarães
and Bacellar 2002; Moura and Castro 2002). At least one
coral reef ﬁsh species, a cryptic viviparous brotula belonging
to genus Ogilbia (family Bythitidae), seems to be endemic to
the Abrolhos region.
The ten most speciose RAP sites for reef ﬁshes are listed
in Fig. 3. Diﬀerences in species numbers between RAP sites
may simply represent sampling artifacts, since sampling effort was not the same at each site, limiting the comparativevalue of the data. Precise and more accurate species richness
comparisons between areas are only possible for sites fromwhich a larger sample is available, such as the Archipelago(Siriba and St. Barbara Islands), Paredes, Parcel dos Abrolhos, Timbebas, Popa Verde, Itacolomis, and Caladas Falsas.
Activity Period and Trophic Composition

Most Abrolhos reef ﬁshes are diurnally active (58.7 %), anda substantial portion (26.5 %) is active both during the day
and the night. This later category includes predators thatare predominantly active in crepuscular periods (e.g., many

RESULTS
General Faunal Composition

The total reef and shore ﬁsh fauna of the Abrolhos region
recorded herein, consists of 266 species, belonging to 179
genera and 79 families (Appendix 1, plus 6 bathypelagic
families recorded as larvae). The most speciose ﬁsh families
recorded in reef habitats were Serranidae, Gobiidae, Labridae, Carangidae and Scaridae, accounting for about 30
percent of the total reef ﬁsh fauna (Fig. 1).
The nine most speciose families recorded in soft bottom
habitats (coastal and estuarine) are listed in Fig. 2. The top
four most speciose families accounted for about 42 percentof the total fauna from these habitats, as follows: Sciaenidae(drums, 16 spp.), Carangidae (jacks, 8 spp.), Ariidae (sea catﬁshes, 5 spp.), and Clupeidae (herrings, 5 spp.). Few species(34 spp., 12.8 % of the total fauna) were recorded on bothcoastal soft bottoms and reefs. Most of these were pelagic
forms (e.g., jacks, sharks, and herrings) or species recorded
in marginal habitats close to the reefs (e.g., seabasses, gobies,
and spadeﬁshes).
During the RAP survey, 131 species belonging to 92
genera and 51 families of reef and shore ﬁshes were recorded
from Abrolhos. The remaining 135 species included in the
checklist (Appendix 1) were either recorded during the otherFigure 1. The most speciose ﬁsh families recorded in reef habitats.

Figure 2. The most speciose ﬁsh families recorded in coastal and estuarine
habitats.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

43

Chapter 2

Figure 3. The ten richest RAP sites for reef ﬁshes. Please note that sampling effort
was not standardized, biasing species richness comparisons based solely on RAP
data.

Figure 4. Activity periods of Abrolhos reef ﬁshes (percentages of the total numberof species recorded in reef environments).

Figure 5. Trophic composition of Abrolhos reef ﬁsh fauna (percentages of the total
number of species recorded in reef environments).

44

Rapid Assessment Programjacks and groupers), and also species that are truly active inboth periods (e.g., some grunts). Few reef ﬁsh species arenocturnal (10.1 %), a feature observed by many authors in
diﬀerent parts of the world (e.g., Collette and Talbot 1972;
Allen 1998). At night the reef seems “empty”, because of thesmaller number of active species and because most activity isconcentrated on adjacent soft bottoms and marginal habitats(Smith and Tyler 1972). Most species categorized as having
an “unknown” activity period (4.8%) are cryptic or smallsized forms which are hard to observe. Activity categories are
summarized in Fig. 4.
The low species richness (4.8 %) of planktivores (which
also have low abundances in most inshore areas) is a remarkable feature of the region. This phenomenon is probably
due to a combination of multiple inﬂuences, including highterrigenous-sediments, bottom topography, and water circulation among pinnacle reef areas, which probably restricts
the occurrence of plankton in innermost reef environments.
Many planktivores (e.g., Chromis, Myripristis and Thalassoma) were only found in the oﬀshore or northernmost reefs(Caladas Falsas and Itacolomis, respectively), both close to
the continental slope.
The preponderance of carnivores (69.3 %) is typical of any
reef system. Most recorded carnivores are invertivores, andonly a smaller proportion is piscivore. Omnivores (14.8 %)included mainly angel and butterﬂyﬁshes, as well as tetraodontiform ﬁshes. Herbivores (11.1 %) included mainly
the small-sized shallow-water blennies, the highly territorial
damselﬁshes of the genus Stegastes and the large-sized parrotﬁshes, most of which are Brazilian endemics. All herbivores
are strictly diurnal. The trophic composition of the Abrolhos
reef ﬁsh fauna is summarized in Fig. 5 and that of coastal
and estuarine habitats is summarized in Fig. 6.
In coastal and estuarine habitats, the preponderance ofcarnivores was even higher than that observed on reefs, representing more than 80% of the total fauna. In these coastal
habitats, most recorded carnivores were invertebrate-feeding
drums and catﬁshes, but also included piscivorous drums
and carangids.

Figure 6. Trophic composition of Abrolhos coastal and estuarine ﬁsh fauna(percentages of the total number of species recorded in reef environments).

Reef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

Composition of reef ﬁsh assemblages

The cluster analysis of presence/absence data from the bestsampled areas revealed four faunal groups (Fig. 7). The ﬁrst
and most distinct group is represented by the oﬀshore reefsof Caladas Falsas, which possesses several species that are notshared with other areas (e.g., the planktivores Clepticus andThalassoma), and also species shared only with Itacolomis,
the northernmost reefs of the Abrolhos Bank (e.g., the planktivores Myripristis and Chromis, and the carnivores Cephalopholis and Amblycirrhitus). The higher richness of planktivores on Caladas can be interpreted as an eﬀect of it lying
further from the coast and closer to the continental slope
than the other stations. Reef morphology (rodolyth beds,
scarce coral heads, sparse and tall patch reefs), clearer waters,
higher maximum depths (30–35 m) and predominance ofcarbonate perireefal sediments, also might contribute to thefaunal dissimilarity found in this area.
The Archipelago area includes the second faunal group,with unique species such as Diplodus argenteus, Trachinotus
falcatus, Scartella cf. cristata, Labrisomus cricota and Sparisoma tuiupiranga. Reef morphology is also unique in theArchipelago area (poor coral cover, predominance of rocky
bottoms, presence of tidepools), and extensive and relatively
well-developed seagrass beds found in close proximity to thereefs. Perireefal siliciclastic contents in the sediments of theArchipelago area are also relatively lower than those fromcoastal pinnacle reefs (Leão and Ginsburg 1997).
Itacolomis, the northernmost reefs of the Abrolhos region,
comprise the third faunal group. Some unique species were
found in these reefs (e.g., Anisotremus moricandi and Halichoeres maculipinna), and others were shared only with Caladas(e.g., Myripristis jacobus, Chromis marginata, Cephalopholis
fulva and Amblycirrhitus pinos). Itacolomis bears a mix ofboth oﬀshore and inshore species, and its faunal composition
appears to be aﬀected by its proximity to both the continental slope and the mainland.
Finally, the fourth faunal group is represented by theother areas with “mushroom-shaped” reefs (“chapeirões”, see

Figure 7. Cluster diagram based on presence/absence of species in each area.
Legends: ITAC= Itacolomis; PARE= Paredes; TIMB= Timbebas; PAAB= Parcel dos
Abrolhos; POPA= Popa Verde; ARCH= Archipelago; CALA= Caladas.

Leão 1994, 1996), encompassing Paredes, Timbebas, Popa
Verde and Parcel dos Abrolhos. No relevant diﬀerences were
found between the compositions of ﬁsh faunas of these reefs,
despite their diﬀerent relative positions and distances fromthe coast. These reefs, besides sharing similar morphologies(formed exclusively, or mainly, by mushroom-shaped pinnacles), are subjected to similar oceanographic conditions
and perireefal sediments. Although siliciclastic contents
in the perireefal sediments should be relatively higher on
Paredes and Timbebas than on Popa Verde and Parcel dos
Abrolhos (see Leão and Ginsburg 1997), this diﬀerence
does not signiﬁcantly aﬀect their respective ﬁsh compositions. Spatial and temporal variation in reef ﬁsh assemblage
structure among the diﬀerent areas of the Abrolhos Bank will
be presented and discussed elsewhere (Francini-Filho andMoura, in prep.)
Species richness of reef ﬁsh assemblages

The observation that reef ﬁsh species richness and diversity
are diﬀerent at many scales (Ormond and Roberts 1997) isvery evident in the Abrolhos region, where there is marked
variation among diﬀerent areas (beta diversity) as well as
within individual reef habitats (alpha diversity). Based on extrapolations derived from visual census data, the Archipelago
and Caladas were the region’s richest areas, in contrast withthe pinnacle reefs, which were poorer (Fig. 8). Notably, thehigher reef ﬁsh species richness in the Archipelago and Caladas does not correspond to species richness patterns of othergroups, such as corals (see Castro, C. B. et al., this report).
Pinnacle reef areas (Paredes, Parcel dos Abrolhos, Popa
Verde and Itacolomis) showed similar species richness
estimates (Fig. 8). For the southernmost reefs (e.g., Coroa
Vermelha and Viçosa) no reliable estimates were possible due
to limited sampling eﬀort. Apparently, the physical structureof the reefs is the most important factor controlling species richness, because pinnacle reefs from the outer reef arc(Parcel dos Abrolhos) showed similar estimates to those fromthe coastal arc and northern reefs.
Pinnacle reefs showed marked within-habitat variation in
species richness and diversity estimates (Figs. 8 and 9). The
estimated number of species varied between 30–60 on thetops, between 34–41on the walls, and between 23–39 on theinterfaces. Pinnacle tops have the best-illuminated habitats,and are also the most structurally complex due to the predominance of milleporans (ﬁre corals) and other reef-building corals (Fig. 9). The walls and interfaces are shadowed by
the fringes, are less structurally complex due to poor coral
cover, and lie closer to the thick sediments of the surrounding bottom (Fig. 9). Frequent re-suspension of these bottom
sediments reduces water visibility, which is notably reducedin the interface area between the hard structure of the pinnacles and the adjacent soft bottom.
Species richness estimates from the reef tops of Paredes
surpass those obtained with all habitats pooled, due to thepresence of an uneven number of rare species. The highspecies richness on its pinnacle tops seems to reﬂect theAbrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

45

1

Chapter 2

Siriba Island

St. Barbara Island(ARCHIPELAGO)(ARCHIPELAGO)

60

60

50

50

40

SPECIES RICHNESS (ICE)40

reef front (48 spp.)
all habitats pooled (64 spp.)
interface (39 spp.)
tops (45 spp.)
pooled w/o interface (66 spp.)

30

reef front (48 spp.)
all habitats pooled (53 spp.)
interface (39 spp.)
tops (35 spp.)
pooled w/o interface (53 spp.)

30
20
10

20
10

20

30

40

20

30

Redonda Island(ARCHIPELAGO)(64 spp.)

45

50
40

20

50

60

60

reef front (37 spp.)
all habitats pooled (64 spp.)
interface ( 46 spp.)
tops (43 spp.)
pooled w/o interface (53 spp.)

30

10

20

30

40

50

60

Caladas(OFFSHORE REEF)

30

15

10

20

30

ACCUMULATED NUMBER OF SAMPLING UNITS

46

40

50

Rapid Assessment Program

40

50

60

Reef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

3

SPECIES RICHNESS (ICE)

Itacolomis(PINNACLES)

60

45

30

walls (43 spp.)
all habitats (53 spp.)
tops (43 spp.)

15

10

20

30

40

50

60

ACCUMULATED NUMBER OF SAMPLING UNITS

Figure 8. Species richness extrapolation-based estimates for the best-sampled areas, as a function of sample size. Vertical bars represent 95% conﬁdence intervals. Finalestimates are provided in parentheses in the legend. Horizontal solid lines represent the total observed number of species with interface data pooled, while dashed lines
represent the observed number of species without interface data.

Table 2. Results of the one-factor ANOVA comparing ﬁsh density in the best
sampled inshore reef areas.

SourceDf

MS

F ratiop-levelRegion

7

5.12

21.82

<0.000001

Error

446

0.23

Table 3. Homogeneous groups (alpha= .05) obtained with the Tukey Test forunequal sample sizes, as a post hoc comparison of means.

GroupsRegionMean

Paredes

0.95

X

Parcel dos Abrolhos

1.04

X

Itacolomis

1.10

X

X

Timbebas

1.14

X

X

Popa Verde

1.18

X

X

Siriba Is.

1.48

St. Barbara Is.

1.70

Redonda Is.

1.91

1

2

X

3

4

X
X

X
X

complexity of Paredes reefs, where pinnacles are very close toeach other or frequently have coalesced tops (Leão 1996). In
other pinnacle areas (e.g., Parcel dos Abrolhos, Popa Verde),
reefs are completely separated and have smaller and lesscomplex tops.
Despite some statistically signiﬁcant diﬀerences in species
richness among separate areas, probably correlated with reeftype and conservation status (protected versus unprotectedareas), we cannot conﬁdently suggest any particular “importance-for-conservation” rank for the areas sampled within
the Abrolhos Region. Alternatively, we suggest that thesepatterns represent one of the fundamental aspects of theregions biodiversity intricacies, and that the positive eﬀects
of protection actions may be partially authenticated by greatest species richness and ﬁsh density in the areas that are more
protected from ﬁsheries.
Diversity of Abrolhos reef ﬁsh assemblages

In most natural assemblages, a few species are very abundant,
while most are represented by only a few individuals (Magurran 1988). In Fig. 10 we summarize the relationships between abundance and number of species in the best-sampledareas using rank-abundance plots. The data clearly show thetypical pattern. Dominance of the grunt H. aurolineatum in
pinnacle reefs is remarkably consistent (except for Timbebas,
but notice the small sample size for this reef ), while on
rocky reefs around the islands, damselﬁshes (Stegastes spp.
and A. saxatilis) and the wrasse H. poeyi are the dominant
species. In Caladas, the oﬀshore reef, the wrasse H. poeyi also
dominates (numerically) the reef ﬁsh assemblage, but it isAbrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

47

Chapter 2

Figure 9. A typical “mushroom-shaped” pinnacle (“chapeirão”), showing theheterogeneous reef morphology and representative species for each habitat.
Species richness estimates for each habitat are derived from Parcel dos Abrolhos.
Depicted species are not exclusive of each habitat and were not drawn to scale.
Legends: 1- C. bartholomaei; 2- C. striatus; 3- O. chrysurus; 4- A. saxatilis;
5- H. aurolineatum; 6- A. bahianus; 7- S. trispinosus; 8- Stegastes spp.; 9Malacoctenus sp.; 10- S. pictus; 11- H. ciliaris; 12- Pomacanthus spp.; 13- G.
brasiliensis; 14- E. morio; 15- H. plumieri; 16- A. chirurgus; 17- P. maculatus.

remarkable that the Brazilian-endemic grunt H. squamipinna
occupies the third most abundant position for this reef. This
species, which is predominantly a planktivore, is absent or
extremely rare in all other reefs we sampled in Abrolhos.
The number of species (species richness) and the distribution of abundance within these species (evenness) are themain components of nearly all diversity indices, of which themost widely used is Shannon’s H’ index (Margalef 1958).
Shannon’s index makes no assumption about the statistical
distribution of species, although it does take into accountthe number of species and their proportions. Nevertheless,the value of H’ itself does not reveal how much each of thesetwo components contributed to the ﬁnal value, limiting
its interpretation. Also, as with all other diversity indices,
H’ is sensitive to sample size. This sample-size dependency,
frequently viewed as an obstacle to the interpretation of diversity measures, can be used to explore the partition of richness and evenness in a single system, through an integrated
approach developed by Hayek and Buzas (1997b) called the
SHE analysis (Species richness, Shannon’s H’ and Evenness).
As shown by these authors, the equation H=ln(S) + ln(E),in which H = Shannon’s index, S = number of species andE = evenness (eH/S) allows for a separation and a better
understanding of the H’ components.
Figure 11 depicts the SHE analysis results for the bestsampled reef areas. In all areas except Paredes and Itacolomis,
H’ initially increased more sharply, together with species

48

Rapid Assessment Program

richness, to the level of about 30 samples. Beyond this point,
there was a remarkable stabilization, but both components
kept showing strong dependence. The values for the relationship ln(E)/ln(S).10 remained roughly stable, despite ﬂuctuations on evenness. As the number of species increased, evenness initially decreased quite sharply, becoming stable onlywith large sample sizes. These SHE analysis results are similar
to those expected for a model Log Series distribution (Hayek
and Buzas 1997a, b), which predicts a simultaneous decreasein both the ln(E)/ln(S).10 relationship and ln(E).10, whileln(S) increases. However, values for H’ did not remain stableas sample size increased, as expected for a true Log Series
distribution.
No matter the similarity between a SHE relationshipfound in a natural assemblage with that expected for any
model distribution, the value of this approach lies in the factthat it allows the separation of species eﬀects due to richness
and evenness. Also, the correlation of diversity measures andnonspeciﬁcity of statistical distributions with sample size canbe better envisaged with this approach (Hayek and Buzas
1997b). The SHE parameters in Fig. 11 can be used for comparison between areas and also for proposed future studies in
the Abrolhos region (see Discussion and Recommendations).
Total and relative abundance of Abrolhos reef ﬁsh assemblages

Fish density varied signiﬁcantly between the best-sampledinshore reef areas (F=21.82, p< .001, Table 2). The homogenous groups obtained with the Tukey Test are shown in
Table 3, clearly separating pinnacle areas from the Archipelago. It is not clear whether these diﬀerences in ﬁsh density are
related to reef structure (e.g., rocky bottoms versus pinnacles)or result from eﬀective management protection of the Archipelago. Probably a combination of these two factors explains
the higher density of ﬁshes in the Archipelago (Fig. 12).
In pinnacle reefs, ﬁsh density varied signiﬁcantly between
habitats (t test p< .001, see Fig. 12). The “mushroom-shape”
of the pinnacles appears to be the main factor responsible
for these diﬀerences. In the Archipelago area, ﬁsh density
was not signiﬁcantly diﬀerent between habitats (p> .05, Fig.
12), probably due to less conspicuous structural diﬀerences
between habitats and lower depth range in this kind of reef,in contrast to pinnacle reefs. Thus, reef structure and depth(including associated factors, such as surf and light inﬂuence) are the most probable factors accounting for betweenhabitat variation.
In a separate analysis, we will report that the relative abundance of many groups is variable among the diﬀerent areas(Francini-Filho and Moura, in prep). There was a remarkably
greater percentage of labrids, blenniids and pomacentrids
in the rocky habitats of the Archipelago when compared tocoral reef areas (Fig. 10). The seaweed-covered rocky bottoms of the Archipelago seem to be very favorable for wrasses(especially the black-ear wrasse, Halichoeres poeyi), damselﬁshes (mainly Stegastes spp.), blennies, and gobies, some ofthem not even recorded elsewhere in Abrolhos.

Reef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

Figure 10. Rank-abundance plots for the best-sampled reef areas, showing the ﬁve most abundant species.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

49

Chapter 2

Figure 10 (continued). Rank-abundance plots for the best-sampled reef areas,
showing the ﬁve most abundant species.

In coral reef areas, haemulids, lutjanids and serranids wererelatively more abundant than they were in the Archipelagoarea. A remarkable feature of the pinnacle reefs is that, during the daytime, the tops harbor large schools of tomtates,
Haemulon aurolineatum (Haemulidae), which disperse atnight to feed on adjacent soft bottoms. In these coral reef environments, lutjanids were mostly represented by yellowtail
snappers, Ocyurus chrysurus, and by serranids, in particular
the small-sized basses of genus Serranus. The relative abundance (and size) of species targeted by spear ﬁshing, mostly
large serranids (Epinephelus spp. and Mycteroperca spp.) andscarids (Scarus spp. and Sparisoma spp.), was shown by Ferreira and Gonçalves (1999) to be higher on areas subjectedto eﬀective management protection, although the potential
confusion of factors associated with reef morphology was notaccounted for by these authors.

Figure 11. SHE analysis for the best-sampled areas. Legends: S=number of species; H= Shannon’s diversity index; E= evenness.

50

Rapid Assessment ProgramReef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

Figure 11 (continued). SHE analysis for the best-sampled areas. Legends: S=number of species; H= Shannon’s diversity index; E= evenness.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

51

Chapter 2
1

10
Top
Wall

Fish density (ind./m2)

8
6
4
2
0
-2
REIS

SIIS

SBIS

ITAC PARE PAAB POPA TIMB

Figure 12. Variation in the abundance of ﬁshes from two habitats (tops and walls)of Santa Barbara Island (SBIS), Itacolomis (ITAC), Parcel dos Abrolhos (PAAB),
Paredes (PARE), Popa Verde (POPA), Redonda Island (REIS), Siriba Island (SIIS) andTimbebas (TIMB). Box represent mean value +/- SE and bars represent mean value+/- SD.

DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Coral reefs represent the marine equivalent of rain forests
in terms of biodiversity (Reaka-Kudla 1997), and ﬁshes
are among the best known and the most economically andecologically important organisms inhabiting coral reefs (Sale
2002). Despite their considerable importance, coral reefs are
threatened worldwide, mainly due to habitat degradationand overexploitation of ﬁsheries resources. Local estimatesof species richness and diversity are urgently needed, inorder to achieve an adequate management of complex anddeclining reef ecosystems (Norse 1993). Brazilian reefs havehigh percentages of endemism (about 50% in reef corals
and 20% in reef ﬁshes), concentrated in only 0.4% of global
reef area. For this reason, these unique reefs constitute a
global conservation priority (Moura 2003). Alarmingly,
habitat destruction and coral reef degradation is occurring atextremely high levels. Coastal deforestation (less than 8% of
Brazil’s Atlantic Forest is now left) and urban pressure (morethan 32.5 million people live in coastal Brazilian municipalities) are dramatically increasing sedimentation rates on all
major coastal habitats (see Leão 1996, Leão et al. 2003). The
small reef area of the Southwestern Atlantic, together with its
high endemism levels and great risk, categorize the tropicalBrazilian coast as an Atlantic coral-reef “hotspot”, deserving
immediate attention from scientists and conservationists(Moura 2003).
There are only a few estimates of local species richness
along the Brazilian coast (e.g., Ferreira et al. 1995; Rosa andMoura 1997); most of them restricted to species lists (e.g.,
Lubbock and Edwards 1981; Rocha et al. 1998). This latter
fact motivated us to provide a more detailed description ofAbrolhos species-richness and diversity patterns, providing
a comparative baseline for the largest southwestern Atlantic
coral reef.
52

Rapid Assessment Program

The main reason we have included references to voucher
specimens in the present checklist is to enable future updates
as a result of taxonomic revisions. On-going work showsthat the Brazilian coast harbors a considerable number ofendemic reef ﬁshes (e.g., Moura 1995; Sazima et al. 1997,
1998, 2000; Gasparini et al. 1999, 2003; Gomes et al. 2000;
Moura et al. 2001), many of which were previously misidentiﬁed as closely-related Caribbean species (see Moura et al.
1999; Floeter and Gasparini 2000; Moura and Sazima 2003;
Moura and Castro 2002). Indeed, the taxonomic status ofvarious Southwestern Atlantic “populations” and “subspecies” remains problematical.
Our ﬁeldwork revealed that the conservation status
of some species must be reassessed. For example, Jordan(1891) recorded the rainbow parrotﬁsh (Scarus guacamaia)from Bahia. The validity of this record was conﬁrmed byour examination of the specimens collected by the steamer
Albatross in 1887 (USNM 43304: two specimens, 117–158mm SL). However, despite our intensive survey eﬀort over
90 days, we failed to report a single occurrence of thisspecies, which is listed as “vulnerable” in the IUCN Red Listof Threatened Species (see http://www.redlist.org).
Very recently, Costa et al. (2005) reported on reef ﬁsheries’ landings in Porto Seguro and Vitória, showing theoverexploited status of most resources currently exploitedin Abrolhos by the larger boats based in these ports. For
instance, these authors showed that most snapper species areoverexploited (O. chrysurus and R. aurorubens, L. analis andL. synagris), while only two are under suitable ﬁshing mortality levels. Continued gathering of catch (and ﬁsheries...) datafrom Abrolhos is greatly needed in order to evaluate trends
in reef ﬁsheries, as well as the eﬀects of marine protectedareas on adjacent ﬁshing grounds (see Ferreira, this volume).
Fishing represents the main source of food and employment in all coastal cities along the Abrolhos Bank, but there
are no major governmental eﬀorts in order to assure thesustainability of this important economic activity. There areseveral signs of overﬁshing in most Abrolhos reefs (Ferreiraand Gonçalves 1999), as well as known instances of illegalﬁshing within and outside Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Most ﬁshermen we have talked with during the last few
years reported decreasing catches of lutjanids and serranids in coral reef areas during the last decade, and even thecomplete disappearance of some large estuarine species suchas sawﬁshes (Elasmobranchii: Pristidae: Pristis). There is a
growing trend towards the use of large mesh nets (20–39 cm
between knots) to capture rays, which are some of the lastlarge-sized ﬁshes still relatively abundant in Abrolhos, butthat are highly susceptible to overﬁshing.
Many research topics, such as the spatial and temporal
patterns of reef ﬁsh assemblages, need to be further explored,
due to their importance for conservation and sustainable exploitation of ﬁsheries resources in Abrolhos. In Brazil, most
MPAs encompassing coral and rocky reef habitats remain
ineﬀective, despite the recent increase in their number andextent. The scarcity of human and ﬁnancial resources is theReef and shore ﬁshes of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

main factor preventing their eﬀective implementation andsubsequent contribution for conserving marine biodiversity
and ﬁsheries enhancement.
The recent establishment of the Corumbau Marine
Extractive Reserve, in which only long-established local
communities are given rights to catch ﬁsh at set, sustainablelevels, represents a unique opportunity for the assessment of
this particular and promising community-based conservation
strategy. With several MPAs under diﬀerent levels of restrictions and administrations (e.g., Abrolhos National Parkand Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve, Federal administration; Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos and Caraíva/Trancoso
Environmental Protected Areas; Bahia State administration;
and Recife de Fora Municipal Park, Porto Seguro Municipal
administration), the Abrolhos region represents a unique opportunity to assess the eﬀectiveness of conservation strategies
adopted by Brazilian environmental agencies for coral reefs
and associated ecosystems.
With adequate support, on-going scientiﬁc research on
Abrolhos reefs will continue to highlight the immense valueof the region’s biodiversity, and therefore help minimize
the permanent threat of industrial projects adjacent tosouthern Bahia coastal habitats. Immediate and cumulativeeﬀects of major industrial activities such as cellulose production, channel dredging, navigation and oil drilling, are still
poorly understood in Abrolhos, and there is a great needfor a continuous evaluation of such impacts in the local andregional scales, to encompass a broad taxonomic spectrumof indicator organisms. Public awareness of the catastrophic
decline of Southern Bahia coral reefs (e.g., Leão 1994, 1996)
is consistently growing, both at local and national levels, but
still represents a complex challenge to scientists and conservationists concerned with the region’s future.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We especially thank Tim Werner, Guilherme Dutra andGerald Allen (Conservation International) for their guidance and support; Naércio Menezes, José Lima de Figueiredo(Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo) andRichard Vari (Smithsonian Institution) for allowing theexamination of material under their care; all the Abrolhos
RAP team and the crew of “Ina” and “Horizonte Aberto” fortheir invaluable help in the ﬁeld; Carlos Flesh (Instituto deBiociências, Universidade de São Paulo) and Carlos Eduardo Ferreira (Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo
Moreira) for helping in the ﬁeld or lab; Carolina Minte-Vera(University of Washington and Universidade Estadual deMaringá) and Ronaldo Francini (Universidade Católica deSantos) for helping us with data analysis; IBAMA for allowing us to collect ﬁshes in protected areas. The Fundação de
Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-FAPESP (grants
to RLM and RBF), Ministério da Ciência e TecnologiaMCT (grant to N. A. Menezes), and Conservation International provided essential ﬁnancial support.

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Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

55

Chapter 3
The Status of Target Reef Fishes
Carlos Eduardo L. Ferreira

SUMMARY

56

Rapid Assessment Program•This report deals with the larger ﬁshes targeted by reef ﬁsheries of the Abrolhos Bank,
including species of families Scaridae (parrotﬁshes), Serranidae (groupers), Carangidae(jacks), Lutjanidae (snappers) and Haemulidae (grunts).

•

During the RAP survey, Scaridae was the most abundant target ﬁsh family, constituting
30 to 57% of all ﬁshes observed. Serranids varied from 0.20 to 3% of total target ﬁshes.
Other families showed high variation among the reefs assessed.

•

The most abundant scarids on most reefs were Sparisoma axillare, Scarus trispinosus andSparisoma frondosum. The most abundant serranid, lutjanid, and carangid on most reefs
were Mycteroperca bonaci, Ocyurus chrysurus and Carangoides crysos, respectively. Anisotremus virginicus and Haemulon plumieri were the most abundant haemulids on all reefs.

•

Densities of serranids, carangids and scarids were higher in sites within the National
Marine Park (RAP Sites 25, 26, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35), although values were signiﬁcantly
diﬀerent only for the ﬁrst two groups.

•

Reefs inside the National Marine Park contained greater numbers of large-sized scarids
and serranids than in other reefs. The greatest proportion of large-sized carangids wasfound at Itacolomis reefs (RAP Sites 14 to 18), the National Marine Park reefs (RAP Sites
25, 26, 29, 30, 33, 34, and 35), and in Paredes reefs (RAP Sites 19, 20, 21, 23, 36, 37,
and 45). For haemulids, the greatest abundance of large-sized ﬁsh was found at Timbebas
reefs, within the National Marine Park (RAP Sites 38, 39, 40, and 42), Popa Verde (RAP
Sites 3, 4, 5, 7, 8), and Itacolomis reefs (RAP Sites 14 to 18). Lutjanidae was the only
group that displayed a similar size-distribution regardless of location.

•

Data gathered on ﬁsh abundance and size indicates that the most protected portion of
the National Marine Park shows positive signs of protection, at least for some families.
Likewise, data for Popa Verde (RAP Sites 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8) and Timbebas reefs (RAP Sites
38, 39, 40, and 42), the latter within the National Marine Park, also indicate relatively
high abundance and large size of ﬁshes for some families.

•

Hook-and-line is the most common ﬁshing method employed on the Abrolhos Bank. In
general, however, interpretation and comparison of data on reef ﬁshing is diﬃcult due
to the lack of basic data concerning type of gear, catches, and ﬁshing eﬀort for each reef.
Fisheries at the Abrolhos Bank are not restricted to reef ﬁshes, but also include pelagic andcertain benthic species that are diﬃcult to assess by means of visual census.

The Status of Target Reef Fishes

INTRODUCTION

Abrolhos is a region characterized by a relatively high diversity of corals and ﬁshes (Leão 1982; Pitombo et al. 1988;
Villaça and Pitombo 1997; Ferreira and Gonçalves 1999). Its
reefs also support important ﬁsheries, not only for the subsistence needs of local residents but also for supplying larger
markets in adjacent municipalities. Due to urban development, tourism and other activities (Coutinho et al. 1993;Leão 1996; Ferreira and Gonçalves 1999), Abrolhos’ uniquemarine environments became increasingly threatened overthe last two decades (Werner et al. 2000). As a consequence,
there has been a reduction in ﬁsh landings, and a decreasein the size and types of exploited ﬁshes (pers. obs.), a trendthat is also reported in many other reef ﬁsheries around theworld (Russ and Alcala 1989; Pauly & Chritensen 1998).
Fishing pressure, in particular, also can aﬀect the complex
interactions occurring in reef systems, causing the so-calledcascading eﬀect to diﬀerent trophic levels (Pennings 1997;
Steneck and Carlton 2001). In Abrolhos and other tropical regions, the scarcity of top predators may explain the
exploitation of large herbivorous ﬁshes, especially scarids, as
food (Ferreira and Gonçalves 1999; also see Roberts 1995,
Jennings and Kaizer 1998). Overﬁshing in the Abrolhos
region is also indicated by initial reports based solely on
intense macroalgae growth in coastal reefs (Coutinho et al.
1993; Ferreira and Gonçalves 1999). Consequently, there isa vital need for a deeper analysis of reef ﬁsh stocks, which is
critical for sustainable management of target ﬁsheries andreef conservation. The basic aim of this report is to provide
baseline information on the abundance and size of commercially important reef ﬁshes of the Abrolhos BankMETHODS
Fish Abundance and Size

Relative ﬁsh abundance was estimated through a stationary visual census technique (sensu Bohnsack and Bannerot1986), replicated for each site and explained in detail by
Moura and Francini-Filho (this volume). Fishes were classiﬁed into ﬁve 10-cm size classes. At sites with low visibility,
quantitative estimates were not carried out, and only species
lists were made (see Moura and Francini-Filho this volume).
The ﬁsh families assessed as part of the RAP survey were
those that contain the larger reef ﬁshes, which are the ones
most heavily exploited: Scaridae, Serranidae, Carangidae,
Lutjanidae and Haemulidae. Other important ﬁsh families
exploited in the region include Carcharhinidae, Sphyraenidae, Coryphaenidae and Scombridae. However, these were
excluded from the study because they often occur in environments that are not propitious to visual census techniques.
During the RAP survey, we selected coastal and oﬀshore
reefs possessing diﬀerent morphologies, as well as protected
and unprotected reefs. Despite forming part of the Abrolhos National Marine Park, the Timbebas reefs have neverreceived much protection, and so, for the purposes of theseanalyses, were considered as unprotected coastal reefs.
Statistical Analysis

In order to achieve a more robust statistical analysis, datafrom reefs in the same complex or having similar levels ofprotection were pooled as shown in Table 1. This procedure
was necessary because few replicates were performed at most
RAP sites. In order to avoid problems associated with grouping dissimilar sites (with respect to habitat characteristics),
some sites were eliminated from the analyses after preliminary screening. For comparisons of ﬁsh family abundance
among sites, a one-way ANOVA was performed, followed bya post hoc Student-Newman-Keuls test (SNK) for multiple
comparisons of means (Zar 1999). When necessary, data
were square root transformed (√X+1) to stabilize variances(Underwood 1997). Size class distributions of ﬁsh families
among sites were compared using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov
two-sample test (Zar 1999).
RESULTSFish Abundance

Scarids were the most abundant group and serranids theleast abundant, except at PV (Fig. 1). Densities of serranids,
carangids, and scarids were higher inside NMPR, but only
the values for serranids and carangids were signiﬁcantly different (Table 2). Lutjanids were most abundant at PV, withsimilar values for TI, NMPR and PA, and lower values for
SR and IT (Table 2). Haemulids were denser at PA (marginally signiﬁcant), but other reefs had similar numbers. A
comparison of mean density and percent abundance for thesix groups of sites is presented in Table 3. The most abundant scarids included Sparisoma axillare, Scarus trispinosus
and Sparisoma frondosum. Mycteroperca bonaci and Ocyuruschrysurus were by far the most abundant serranids andlutjanids, respectively. Other members of these families were
either found in low numbers or were absent, with the exception of Lutjanus synagris, which was relatively abundant at

Table 1. Groups of sites used in the statistical analysis and their corresponding
acronyms, RAP Site numbers, and sample size.

GROUPS OF SITESRAP SITESSouthern Reefs (SR)1, 2, 6

Popa Verde Reefs (PV)3, 4, 5, 7, 8

Itacolomis Reefs (IT)14, 15, 16, 17 18

Paredes Reefs

19, 20, 21, 23, 36, 37, 45(PA)

National Marine Park Reefs(NMPR)

25, 26, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35

Timbebas Reefs (TI)

38, 39, 40, 42

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

57

Chapter 3

Table 2. Results of ANOVA comparisons of ﬁsh family abundance among reefs and SNK comparisons. Legends for RAP site codes in Table 1.

FamilyF

dfp

Scaridae

2.36

5< 0.05

SNK comparisons
SR < PV = PA = IT = TI = NMPR

Serranidae

4.73

5

< 0.001

IT = TI = PA = PV = SR < NMPR

Carangidae

1.98

5

< 0.05PV = IT = TI = PA = SR < NMPR

Lutjanidae

7.29

5

< 0.001

IT = SR < PA = NMPR = TI < PV

Haemulidae

3.53

5

< 0.01

SR = PV = NMPR = IT = TI < PA

Table 3. Mean (± 1 SE) density (individuals x 50m-2) and percent relative abundance (in bold font) of target reef ﬁshes. Corresponding RAP site codes in Table 1.

Southern Reefs

Popa Verde Reefs

Itacolomis Reefs

Paredes Reefs

Natnl Park Reefs

Timbebas Reefs

Scarus trispinosus

0.40 (0.22)
3.05

0.68 (0.13)
4.49

1.25 (0.40)
8.24

2.12 (0.43)
10.79

1.72 (0.28)
7.39

3.02 (0.51)
15.25

S. zelindae

1.20 (0.85)
9.16

1.60 (0.32)
10.60

0.12 (0.09)
0.79

0.58 (0.28)
2.95

1.38 (0.46)
5.93

1.72 (0.25)
8.09

Sparisoma axillare

3.40 (1.26)
26

0.60 (0.12)
3.96

6.04 (1.08)
39.84

3.87 (0.65)
15.69

3.29 (1.70)
14.14

2.40 (0.64)
12.13

S. amplum----0.16 (0.09)
1.05

--

0.03 (0.02)
0.12

0.22 (0.10)
1.11

S. frondosum--

2.68 (0.53)
17.7

1.21 (0.50)
7.98

0.20 (0.09)
1.01

3.96 (0.58)
17.02

1.90 (0.39)
9.61

Mycteroperca bonaci

0.40 (0.16)
3.05

0.16 (0.03)
1.06

0.07 (0.05)
0.46

0.21 (0.11)
1.06

0.98 (0.29)
4.21

0.04 (0.02)
0.20

Epinephelus itajara--

0.04 (0.008)
0.26

--

--

--

--

E. morio--

0.16 (0.03)
1.06

--

--

--

--

Carangoides crysos

3.00 (2.30)
22.9

--

0.13 (0.06)
0.85

0.82 (0.50)
4.97

2.00 (0.22)
8.59

--

C. bartholomaei

--

--

--

--

0.93 (0.19)
3.99

0.09 (0.06)
0.45

C. ruber

--

--

--

--

0.16 (0.08)
0.68

--

Caranx latus

--

--

--

--

1.51 (0.22)
6.49

--

Lutjanus jocu

0.40 (0.30)
3.05

1.16 (0.18)
7.66

0.06 (0.04)
0.39

1.57 (0.66)
7.89

0.03 (0.02)
0.13

--

O. chrysurus3.00 (0.44)
22.90

5.40 (1.07)
35.60

2.10 (0.04)
13.85

4.87 (0.60)
24.28

1.70 (0.14)
7.31

5.90 (0.54)
29.81

L. synagris

--

--

--

--

--

2.54 (0.78)
10.92

Scaridae

Serranidae

Carangidae

Lutjanidae

58

Rapid Assessment Program

The Status of Target Reef Fishes

Table 3. (continued) Mean (± 1 SE) density (individuals x 50m-2) and percent relative abundance (in bold font) of target reef ﬁshes. Corresponding RAP site codes in Table 1.

Southern Reefs

Popa Verde Reefs

Itacolomis Reefs

Paredes Reefs

Natnl Park Reefs

Timbebas Reefs

--

--

--

--

--

0.60 (0.32)
3.05

Haemulon plumieri

0.20 (0.13)
1.53

0.28 (0.05)
1.85

2.40 (0.04)
15.83

3.17 (1.01)
16.13

0.16 (0.08)
0.68

0.18 (0.08)
0.91

H. parra

0.70 (0.42)
15.34

--

0.40 (0.21)
2.63

0.07 (0.01)
0.35

--

--

Anisotremus virginicus

0.40 (0.26)
3.05

2.32 (0.46)
15.30

1.16 (0.48)
7.65

1.57 (0.33)
7.99

2.87 (1.07)
12.34

4.32 (0.31)
28.83

0.04 (0.008)
0.26

0.06 (0.04)
0.39

L. griseus
Haemulidae

Fish x 50 m-2

Fish x 50 m-2

Fish x 50 m-2

A. surinamensis

Figure 1. Comparison of ﬁsh abundance (mean ± SE) among different reefs. Corresponding RAP site codes in Table 1.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

59

Chapter 3

Fish SizeDISCUSSION

There were more large-sized scarids and serranids at NMPR
than at other reefs, followed by PV and TI, for both families(Figs. 2 and 3). Large carangids were best represented at IT,
followed by NMPR and PA (Fig. 4). Lutjanids exhibiteda similar size-distribution at all reefs, with SR having the

The Abrolhos Marine National Park was established in 1983,
but eﬀective conservation policy was not implemented until
the mid 1990’s. Therefore, the region has been protected
for less than 10 years prior to the present study. The ﬁsh% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed

highest proportion of smallest sizes (Fig. 5). The greatest
proportion of large haemulids was found at TI, followed by
PV and IT (Fig. 6). A comparison of size-class distribution
between reefs is presented in Table 4. As the sample size forsome families was small (e.g., Serranidae), it was not always
possible to detect signiﬁcant diﬀerences in size distribution
between reef areas.

% of ﬁshes observed

NMPR. Carangoides crysos was the most abundant carangid,
and the most abundant haemulids were Anisotremus virginicus and Haemulon plumieri. At the family level, scarids andserranids showed smaller abundance variation between sites.
Scarid abundance varied from 30 to 57 % of the total ﬁshes
surveyed, while serranid abundance varied between 0.2 to 3%. Carangids, lutjanids and haemulids exhibited considerable density variation between reef areas (Table 2).

Figure 2. Size class frequency distribution of scarids among different reefs. Corresponding RAP site codes in Table 1.

60

Rapid Assessment Program

The Status of Target Reef Fishes% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed

noticeable for PA, which occupies a comparatively large area
characterized by diﬀerent habitats and a high variability in
species diversity and abundance. PV, in contrast, consists
mainly of relatively sparse “chapeirões” in deeper (15–30 m)
water. Probably because of the deeper setting of the reefs andtheir steep morphology, this area is less vulnerable to ﬁshing. Consequently, it appears to sustain ﬁsh populations inrelatively “good health”, as indicated by the high abundanceof lutjanids. Moreover, it was the only reef where the jewﬁsh(Epinephelus itajara) was observed. TI, although includedin the National Park, has never been policed and, like othercoastal reefs, suﬀers from the eﬀects of ﬁshing, both by local
people and tourists. Nevertheless, it contains relatively highdensities of scarids, lutjanids and haemulids. Diﬀerences inﬁsheries exploitation among reef areas appear to be corre-% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed

abundance and size data obtained during this study indicatethat ﬁsh populations, for at least a few families (particularly
the Serranidae and Carangidae), have beneﬁted from thisprotection. Although more large-size scarids were recorded
within the National Park boundaries, large individuals werealso noted on other reefs, such as PV and TI. Large-size lutjanids were detected only on PV, but relatively high densities
of smaller size-classes also were observed at TI (unprotected)
and NMPR (protected). However, the analysis of lutjanid
size-distribution data and the eﬀects of protection were
somewhat obscured by the universal abundance of Ocyuruschrysurus, which was common in a wide size range in bothprotected and non-protected sites.
As high variation in abundance among the surveyed sites
may be due to habitat diﬀerences, some sites were eliminatedafter preliminary analyses. This problem was particularly

Figure 3. Size class frequency distribution of serranids among different reefs. Corresponding RAP site codes in Table 1.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

61

Chapter 3

lated with both ecological conditions and proximity
to humans.
Hook-and-line is the main ﬁshing gear employed on
Abrolhos reefs. Spearﬁshing, on the other hand, is a comparatively new technique, and its use is limited to a few local
and visiting recreational ﬁshermen (pers. obs.). Nevertheless,spearﬁshing may seriously impact local ﬁsh populations, justas much as the conventional hook-and-line gear. It is wellknown that certain families, such as the Serranidae, are easily
impacted by spear ﬁshing and other selective ﬁshing techniques (Colin 1992; Roberts 1995; Sadovy and Colin 1995;
Jennings and Kaiser 1998). All the top predators studied
during the RAP survey are subjected to both hook-and-line
and spearﬁshing methods. However, scarids are targeted byspearﬁshing and netting, this latter technique applied on
certain bank reefs (e.g., Lixa Reefs, Rap Site 36). Haemulids
are taken mainly by hook-and-line, but also by spearﬁshing.
Therefore, unlike many other tropical areas where a variety
of ﬁshing methods are employed, reef ﬁsheries in Abrolhos
are restricted to relatively few methods, of which hook-andline is by far the most common. There is no recent use ofhighly destructive ﬁshing techniques such as explosives or
cyanide. Nevertheless, it is diﬃcult to assess the real impactof ﬁshing activities in Abrolhos, due to the lack of basic data
concerning type of gear, catches, and ﬁshing eﬀort.
Fishing in coral reef and other marginal habitats are not
restricted to the species included in this report. Studies thathave monitored local ﬁsh landings in the region indicate thatpelagic ﬁshes of families Coryphaenidae and Scombridae area seasonally important component of the catches (Costa

et al., 2003). Moreover, hook-and-line ﬁshing is not conﬁned to shallow reef environments, but employed to a depthof at least 180 m. Monitoring data (Costa et al., 2003) indicates that catches from deeper areas is composed of relatively
few species, including Mycteroperca bonaci, Lutjanus jocu andO. chrysurus, as well as other species not recorded during the
RAP survey. According to local ﬁshermen, catches of typicalreef ﬁsh species, including Balistes vetula (Balistidae), Sphyraena barracuda (Sphyraenidae) and some reef sharks, havedeclined in recent years. This sort of anecdotal information,
however, may be useful for future research in the region.
There is an increasing interest in the role of marine protected areas in helping to restore ﬁsheries in places that have
suﬀered a decline in ﬁsheries productivity (Demartini 1993;
Polunin and Roberts 1993; Bohnsack 1996; Russ 2001).
Regardless of the level of protection, the potential of an area
to sustain acceptable levels of ﬁshing is highly dependenton having a suﬃciently large area that includes a variety ofhabitats that are critical to the various life-history stages of
the target organisms (Dugan and Davis 1993). The Abrolhos
National Marine Park encompasses a reef area of 913 km2,
including areas of the Abrolhos Archipelago where habitat
and ﬁsh diversity is high (Moura and Francini-Filho thisreport). However, the estimated area of the entire Abrolhos
Bank is approximately 6,000 km2 (Leão 1996), raising thequestion of how large the protected area coverage should bein order to sustain ﬁshing on adjacent reefs. Coastal reefs
sometimes include speciﬁc habitats that are not represented
within the existing protected areas boundaries. The Timbebas Reef would certainly fulﬁll some of these needs, but

Table 4. Results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample tests (p values) for comparisons of percent distribution of size classes of target ﬁsh families. Corresponding RAP sitecodes in Table 1.

SR vs. PV
SR vs. NMPR
SR vs. TIM
SR vs. PA
SR vs. IT
PV vs. IT
PV vs. PA
PV vs. NMPR
PV vs. TIM
IT vs. PA
IT vs. NMPR
IT vs. TIM
PA vs. NMPR
PA vs. TIM
NMPR vs. TIM

Scaridae
NS
NS
**
**
**
***
***
NS
***
NS
***
***
***
***
*

Serranidae
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
***
NS
NS
NS
***
NS
*
NS
NS
NS

NS = not signiﬁcant, * = p < 0.05, ** = p < 0.01, *** = p < 0.001

62

Rapid Assessment Program

Carangidae
***
***
***
NS
***
***
***
***
NS
NS
NS
**
NS
*
**

Lutjanidae
***
***
***
***
***
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS

Haemulidae
NS
*
NS
NS
***
NS
NS
NS
NS
*
NS
NS
**
*
NS

The Status of Target Reef Fishes% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed

pertaining to catch size and composition, as well as catch
per unit eﬀort. Only through such a program, to be implemented among Abrolhos ﬁshing villages, can a thoroughunderstanding of ﬁshing pressure be obtained. At the sametime, more visual census studies should be initiated, in bothprotected and unprotected reefs, like those reported herein.
This is particularly important for groups such as scarids thatare poorly represented in typical ﬁsh landings. Scarids areimportant for controlling algal abundance and growth, thus
playing an important role in coral-dominated reef systems(e.g., Choat 1991), and also serving as indicators of reef
“health”. The future of the Abrolhos reefs heavily depends on
our ability to produce basic data that will guide and facilitateeﬀective management.

% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed

would require eﬀective law enforcement and environmental
education programs for the local community. This would effectively transform the Timbebas Reef from a “paper park” toa functioning fully-protected area. The Paredes Reefs is also agood candidate area for coral reef conservation in Abrolhos,being the largest reef complex in Brazil, and containing a
relatively high habitat diversity. Another aspect that deserves
urgent attention is the gap in our knowledge of the interactions between reefs and coastal systems, such as estuaries
and mangroves. These coastal systems have close associations
to coral reefs in the Caribbean and other tropical regions(Nagelkerken 2000), but remain almost completely unstudied in the Abrolhos region.
It is crucial to implement monitoring programs as soon as
possible. The goal should be to collect comprehensive data

Figure 4. Size class frequency distribution of carangids among different reefs. Corresponding RAP site codes in Table 1.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil63% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed

Chapter 3

Figure 5. Size class frequency distribution of lutjanids among different reefs. Corresponding RAP site codes in Table 1.

64

Rapid Assessment Program% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed% of ﬁshes observed

The Status of Target Reef Fishes

Figure 6. Size class frequency distribution of haemulids among different reefs. Corresponding RAP site codes in Table 1.

REFERENCES

Bohnsack, J. A. 1996. Maintenance and recovery of reefﬁshery productivity. In: Polunin, N. V. C. and C. M.
Roberts (eds.). Reef Fisheries. London: Chapman andHall. Pp. 283–313.
Bohnsack, J. A. and S. P. Bannerot. 1986. A stationary visual
census technique for quantitatively assessing community
structure of coral reef ﬁshes. NOAA Technical. Report
NMFS-41: 1–15.
Choat, J. H. 1991. The biology of herbivorous ﬁshes oncoral reefs. In: Sale, P. F. (ed.). The ecology of ﬁshes oncoral reefs. San Diego: Academic Press. Pp. 120–153.
Colin, P. L. 1992. Reproduction of the Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus (Pisces: Serranidae) and its relationships
to environmental conditions. Environmental Biology ofFishes 34: 357–377.

Costa, P.A.S., Braga, A.C. & Rocha, L.O.F. 2003. Reef ﬁsheries in Porto Seguro, eastern Brazilian coast. Fisheries
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Coutinho, R., R. C. Villaça, C. A. Magalhães, M. A. Guimaraens, M. Apolinário, and G. Muricy. 1993. Inﬂuência
antrópica nos ecossistemas coralinos da região de Abrolhos. Acta Biológica Leopoldensia 15(1): 133–144.
Demartini, E. E. 1993. Modeling the potential of ﬁsheryreserves for managing Pacifc coral reef ﬁsheries. Fishery
Bulletin 91: 414–427.
Dugan, J. E. and G. E. Davis. 1993. Applications of marine
refugia to coastal ﬁsheries management. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 50: 2029–2042.
Ferreira, C. E. L. and J. E. A. Gonçalves. 1999. The unique
Abrolhos reef formation (Brazil): need for speciﬁc management strategies. Coral Reefs 18: 352.

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Jennings, S. and M. J. Kaiser. 1998. The eﬀects of ﬁshingon marine ecosystems. Advances in Marine Biology 34:
202–352.
Leão, Z. M. A. N. L. 1982. Morphology, geology anddevelopmental history of the southernmost coral reefs ofWestern Atlantic, Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. Ph.D. thesis,
Miami, Florida: University of Miami.
Leão Z. M. A. N. L. 1996. The coral reefs of Bahia: Morphology, distribution and the major environmental
impacts. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 68(3):439–452.
Nagelkerken, I. 2000. Importance of shallow-water bay biotopes as nurseries for Caribbean reef ﬁshes. PhD thesis.
Nijmegen, The Netherlands: University of Nijmegen.
Pauly, D., Christensen, V., Dalsgaard, S., Froese, R. and Torres, F.J. 1998. Fishing down marine food webs. Science
279: 860–863.
Pennings, S. C. 1997. Indirect interactions on coral reefs. In:
Birkeland, C. (ed.). Life and death of coral reefs. New
York: Chapman and Hall. Pp. 249–272.
Pitombo, F., C. C. Ratto and M. J. C. Belém. 1988. Species
diversity and zonation pattern of hermatic corals at two
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Coral Reef Symposium 1: 817–820.
Polunin , N. V. C. and C. M. Roberts. 1993. Greater
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Roberts, C. M. 1995. Eﬀects of ﬁshing on the ecosystem
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Russ, G. R. and A. C. Alcala. 1989. Eﬀects of intense ﬁshingpressure on an assemblage of coral reef ﬁshes. Marine
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Chapter 4
Diversity of macrophytes on the Abrolhos
Bank, Brazil
Marcia A. de O. Figueiredo

SUMMARY•

A total of 100 species of marine plants was recorded in the RAP survey of the Abrolhos
Bank, comprising 42 Chlorophyta (green algae), 24 Phaeophyta (brown algae), 32 Rhodophyta (red algae) and two Magnoliophyta (seagrass), belonging to 31 families and51 genera.

•

Three algae species are reported for the ﬁrst time from the Brazilian coast: Amphiroa tribulus, Rhipocephallus sp. and Penicillus dumentosus.

•

The most speciose families of algae were Dictyotaceae, Udoteaceae, Caulerpaceae and Corallinaceae.

•

The most productive and richest areas assessed during this survey were the Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve followed by Parcel das Paredes within the Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos
Environmental Protected Area — EPA.

•

Grazing pressure by ﬁshes seems to be an important factor explaining low canopy height
on Abrolhos oﬀshore reefs, as compared to other coastal reef areas where higher ﬁshingpressure allows frondose macroalgae to proliferate.

INTRODUCTION

The need for a comprehensive survey of marine plants in the Abrolhos Bank is based on the
scarcity of studies in this area. Most previous surveys (Joly et al. 1969, IBAMA-FUNATURA
1991) and ecological studies (Coutinho et al. 1993, Amado Filho et al. 1997, Creed et al. 1997,
Figueiredo 1997, Villaça and Pitombo 1997, Figueiredo 2000) focused only on marine macroalgae of the Abrolhos Archipelago and the nearby coral reefs of Parcel dos Abrolhos,
Nova Viçosa and Timbebas. In this report, qualitative and quantitative collections of marine
plants, including macroalgae and seagrass, were extended to other coral reef areas and theiradjacent environments.
METHODS

Marine plants (algae and seagrass) large enough to be visually detected while snorkeling andscuba diving were collected from fringing and columnar reefs and adjacent soft bottoms. Specimens were identiﬁed to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Identiﬁed specimens preserved informalin solution are deposited in the herbarium of the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro(RB). Presence and absence of species was scored for each site and the degree of similarity was

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

67

Chapter 4

established using the Squared Euclidean Distance Coeﬃcient(Clarke and Warwick 1997).
Quantitative samples were taken to identify dominance ofalgal functional-groups in relation to other potential spacecompetitors: zoanthids, millepores and scleratinians. Turfs
were mainly composed of ﬁlamentous or articulated calcareous algae. Frondose macroalgae included foliose, corticatedand leathery groups (Steneck and Dethier 1994). Non-articulated red calcareous algae known as coralline crusts were
excluded from taxonomic inventories because species could
not be identiﬁed in the ﬁeld. The percent cover of bothalgal and sessile animals was estimated at ten random points
marked on a 10 m transect line. Two to sixteen transects persite were placed on reef tops, depending on available space.
Algal canopy height was measured at random points on thetransects, in order to estimate the productivity of each site.
RESULTSat the following RAP sites: 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17 (within
the Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve), 19, 22, 37, 43(within the Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos EPA), and 41, the onlysite outside marine protected areas. Among algae divisions,
Chlorophyta was usually the most speciose one (Fig. 1).
Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that there are four
major groups delimited at squared Euclidean distance of
20, which refer to speciose reefs, shallow-water depauperate reefs, deep-water depauperate reefs and depauperate
sedimentary bottoms (Fig. 2). The ﬁrst group was subdivided
into one group formed by samples taken in columnar reefs
rich in turf algae species, and a second group composedof samples from bank and columnar reefs plus rhodolithbottoms (free living red calcareous algae), which are richin frondose macroalgae species. The relationship between
species number and canopy height showed a trend of species
richness increasing in intermediate productive sites where
algae was neither too high nor too low (Fig. 3).

A total of 100 taxa of marine plants was recorded during the
RAP Survey (Table 1), comprising 42 Chlorophyta (green
algae), 24 Phaeophyta (brown algae), 32 Rhodophyta (redalgae) and 2 Magnoliophyta (seagrass), belonging to 31
families and 51 genera. Three algae species are reported here
for the ﬁrst time from Brazil: Amphiroa tribulus and Rhipocephallus sp. (found in all protected areas of the Abrolhos
Bank), and Penicillus dumentosus (occurring at Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos EPA and Caladas Falsas). Trichogloea requienii
was recorded for the second time in Brazil (observed in theCorumbau Marine Extractive Reserve). Among algae groups,
the most speciose families were Dictyotaceae, Udoteaceae,
Caulerpaceae and Corallinaceae. Species richness was highest(25% or more of the total found for the Abrolhos Bank)

Figure 1. Species number of Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta at the richer
RAP Sites (25% or more of the total found for the Abrolhos Bank): 12, 13, 14, 16
and 17 (within the Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve), 19, 22, 37, 43 (within the
Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos EPA) and 41 (outside protected areas).

68

Rapid Assessment Program

Figure 2. Cluster analysis of sample sites based on occurrence of plant species in
Abrolhos Bank. Sites grouped in (A1) speciose columnar reefs, (A2) speciose bankreefs, (B) shallow-water depauperate reefs, (C) deep-water depauperate reefs and(D) depauperate sedimentary bottoms.

Diversity of macrophytes on the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil

Table 1. Plant species recorded during the RAP Survey. Marks indicate: (♦) new records for Brazil, (♦♦) new record for the Abrolhos Bank, (♦♦♦) species restricted to the Atlantic
Ocean.

SPECIESRAP SITE RECORDSRHODOPHYTA
Corallinaceae
Amphiroa beauvoisii J. V. Lamour.
A. brasiliana Decne.
A. fragilissima (L.) J. V. Lamour.
A. tribulus (J. Ellis & Sol.) J. V. Lamour. ♦, ♦♦Corallina oﬃcinalis L.
Jania adhaerens J. V. Lamour.
J. capillacea Harv.
J. rubens (L.) J. V. Lamour.

3, 4, 6, 10, 12-14, 21, 23-25, 29, 34, 35
1, 6, 222, 16-19, 24, 26, 27, 37, 38, 41
4, 9, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 25, 36, 38, 40, 43, 45
6
2, 36
13, 15, 16, 22, 23, 28, 33, 37, 41, 43, 45
37

Gelidiaceae
Gelidium pusillum (Stackh.) Le Jolis
Gelidium sp.

1-4, 6, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22-26, 29, 30, 33-35, 39, 43
18

Gelidiellaceae
Gelidiella acerosa (Forssk.) Feldmann & Hamel

1, 2, 6, 10, 12, 14, 19, 22, 37, 43

Liagoraceae
Trichogloea requienii (Mont.) Kuetz. ♦♦11, 15

Galaxauraceae
Galaxaura obtusata (J. Ellis & Sol.) J. V. Lamour.
G. rugosa (J. Ellis & Sol.) J. V. Lamour.
Tricleocarpa cylindrica (J. Ellis & Sol.) Huisman & Borow.

12, 13, 16, 27, 28, 41
1, 6
6, 11-14, 22

Bonnemaisoniaceae
Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevis.

9, 11, 12, 15

Hypneaceae
Hypnea musciformis (Wulfen in Jacqu.) J. V. Lamour.
H. spinella (C. Agardh) Kuetz.

10
2, 9, 11, 13, 24, 25, 27, 29, 41

Rhizophyllidaceae
Ochtodes secundiramea (Mont.) M. Howe6, 9, 11-17, 19, 29, 30, 34, 36, 38, 39, 45

Solieriaceae
Meristiella gelidium (J. Agardh) D. P. Cheney & P. W. Gabrielson

15

Gracilariaceae
Gracilaria cervicornis (Turner) J. Agardh

12, 13

G. domingensis (Kuetz.) Sond. ex Dickie

12

G. mammilaris (Mont.) M. Howe

6

Champiaceae
Champia parvula (C. Agardh) Harv.
C. vieillardii Kuetz.

19, 22, 28
18

Rhodymeniaceae
Botryocladia occidentalis (Boergesen) Kylin

12, 16, 41

Ceramiaceae
Spyridia ﬁlamentosa (Wulfen) Harv. in Hook.
Wrangelia argus (Mont.) Mont.

33
2, 3, 9, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 30, 31, 33-35, 38, 39

continued

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

69

Chapter 4

SPECIESRAP SITE RECORDS

Dasyaceae
Dictyurus occidentalis J. Agardh

22, 29Rhodomelaceae
Acanthophora spicifera (Vahl) Boergesen

2

Laurencia obtusa (Huds.) J. V. Lamour.

6, 9, 10, 17, 19, 22, 23, 27, 28, 37

L. papillosa (C. Agardh) Grev.

11, 15-17, 19, 37

PHAEOPHYTA
Chnoosporaceae
Chnoospora minima (K. Hering) Papenf.

25

Scytosiphonaceae
Colpomenia sinuosa (Roth) Derbès & Solier

1, 6, 9, 11, 13-15, 17-19, 22, 25-27, 29, 33, 41, 43

Hydroclathrus clathratus (C. Agardh) M. Howe19, 25Rosenvingea intricata (J. Agardh) Boergesen

25

R. sanctae-crucis Boergesen

26

Dictyotaceae
Dictyopteris delicatula J. V. Lamour.
D. jolyana E. C. Oliveira & R. P. Furtado ♦♦♦D. justii J. V. Lamour.
D. plagiogramma (Mont.) Vickers
Dictyota bartayresiana J. V. Lamour.
D. cervicornis Kuetz.

12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 29
14, 19, 25, 28, 29, 37, 41
29, 37, 41
13, 16, 17, 22, 26, 29, 33
39
1-3, 6, 10, 12, 13, 15-17, 19, 22-29, 33, 34, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45

D. ciliolata Sond. ex Kuetz.

9, 11-15, 19, 25, 43

D. mertensii (Mart.) Kuetz.

1, 3, 4, 11-17, 19, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 37, 41, 43

Dictyota sp.

7, 15-17, 19, 21, 24-26, 30, 31, 36, 37, 39, 43

Lobophora variegata (J. V. Lamour.) Womersley ex E. C. Oliveira

1, 12-14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 27, 28, 39, 41, 43

Padina gymnospora (Kuetz.) Sond.
P. sanctae-crucis Boergesen
Padina sp.
Stypopodium zonale (Lamour.) Papenf.

1, 11, 12, 14, 17, 29
2, 6, 12, 14, 16-19, 22, 23, 25, 26, 33, 37, 43
15, 2816, 19, 27, 28, 37, 41

Sargassaceae
Sargassum furcatum Kuetzing
S. hystrix var. buxifolium Chauvin in J. Agardh

1, 10
12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 37, 43

S. platycarpum Mont. 4

11-19, 22, 27, 28, 37, 39, 43

S. vulgare C. Agardh

1

Sargassum sp.

33, 41CHLOROPHYTA
UlvaceaEnteromorpha ﬂexuosa (Wulfen) J. Agardh
Ulva lactuca L.

2
2, 10

Anadyomenaceae
Anadyomene saldanhae A. B. Joly & E. C. Oliveira ♦♦♦A. stellata (Wulfen in Jacq.) C. Agardh

72, 28, 41

continued

70

Rapid Assessment ProgramDiversity of macrophytes on the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil

SPECIESRAP SITE RECORDS

Cladophoraceae
Chaetomorpha linum (O. F. Muell.) Kuetz.

17

Siphonocladaceae
Cladophoropsis membranacea (C. Agardh) Boergesen
Dictyosphaeria cavernosa (Forrsk.) Boergesen
D. versluysii Weber Bosse
Ventricaria ventricosa (J. Agardh) J. L. Olsen & J. A. West28, 41
1,6, 10, 12-14, 16-19, 22, 24, 27, 33-35, 38, 39, 41, 43, 45
33, 3717, 19, 23, 24, 27, 28, 37, 38, 41, 45

Valoniaceae
Valonia aegagropila C. Agardh
V. macrophysa Kuetz.

4, 16, 17, 22
16, 19, 24, 27, 34, 37, 38, 43, 45

Bryopsidaceae
Bryopsis pennata J. V. Lamour.

30, 34, 35, 39

Codiaceae
Codium decorticatum (Woodw.) M. HoweC. intertextum Collins & Herv.
C. isthmocladum Vickers
Codium sp.

14
6, 13, 15, 22, 27, 28, 37, 41
41
11-13, 16

Caulerpaceae
Caulerpa cupressoides (H. West in Vahl) C. Agardh
C. lanuginosa J. Agardh
C. mexicana Sond. ex Kuetz.

6, 12, 13, 16-19, 22, 28, 33, 37, 43
16, 22
22

C. prolifera (Forssk.) J. V. Lamour.

13, 14, 16, 19

C. racemosa (Forsskal) J. Agardh

1, 3, 6, 9, 12-14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 34, 37, 41, 43

C. racemosa var. peltata (J. V. Lamour.) Eubank
C. serrulata (Forssk.) J. Agardh

11, 15, 16
22

C. sertularioides (S.G. Gmel.) M. Howe

10, 12, 17, 43

C. taxifolia (H. West in Vahl) C. Agardh

16, 17, 22

C. verticillata J. Agardh

1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13-17, 25-30, 33, 34, 35, 41, 43

Udoteaceae
Avrainvillea elliottii A. Gepp & E. Gepp ♦♦♦Halimeda discoidea Decne.
H. incrassata (J. Ellis) J. V. Lamour.
H. opuntia (L.) J. V. Lamour.
H. tuna (J. Ellis & Sol.) J. V. Lamour.
Penicillus capitatus Lam.
P. dumentosus (J. V. Lamour.) Blainv. ♦♦♦Penicillus sp.
Rhipilia tomentosa Kuetz. ♦♦♦Rhipilia sp. a
Rhipilia sp. b
Rhipocephalus sp. ♦♦♦2, 8, 15, 17, 21, 22, 41, 42, 43
13, 16, 17, 27, 28, 41
13, 169, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 22, 23
1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12-17, 19, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33-39, 43, 45
1, 2, 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 22, 26, 33, 37, 43
19, 22, 28
25, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43
13
14, 15, 17, 22, 27, 28, 37, 43
17, 18, 41
11, 15, 19, 20, 23, 25, 29, 33, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43

Udotea cyathiformis Decne. ♦♦♦�6, 12, 13, 16-18, 22, 27, 28, 37, 41, 43

U. ﬂabellum (J. Ellis & Sol.) J. V. Lamour.

1, 2, 6, 12, 13, 17, 19, 22, 26-29, 37, 43

continued

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

71

Chapter 4

SPECIESRAP SITE RECORDS

Dasycladaceae
Dasycladus vermicularis (Scop.) Krasser
Neomeris annulata Dickie

13, 14, 16, 17, 22, 29, 41
1, 6, 12-14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25-27, 29, 36, 37, 41, 43

MAGNOLIOPHYTA
Cymodoceaceae
Halodule wrightii Ascherson ♦♦♦12, 19, 22, 33, 43

Hydrocharitaceae
Halophila decipiens Ostenfeld

Frondose macroalgae and turf algae were frequently (79%of surveyed sites) found to be more abundant than corals on
the Abrolhos Bank (Fig. 4). Frondose macroalgae covered
most surveyed substrata in sites within the Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve, as did coralline and turf-forming algae in the Abrolhos National Park (Timbebas and Parcel dos
Abrolhos). Frondose macroalgae were usually more abundantin the Ponta da Baleia/Abrolhos EPA. Zoanthids and scleractinians shared considerable reef space at a few locations. Sites
outside marine protected areas, with bottoms formed mainly
by rhodoliths, were also dominated by frondose macroalgae(Caladas Falsas and Plain of Calcareous Algae, RAP Sites
27–28 and 41).
DISCUSSION

This survey added 15 taxa to the known species of the Abrolhos Bank (Joly et al. 1969; IBAMA-FUNATURA 1991),
bringing the species total to 100. Three algae species are newrecords for the Brazilian marine ﬂora, according to the list of
Oliveira (1977) updated by Horta (2000), and most species

Figure 3. Relationship between algal species richness and algal canopy height in
the Abrolhos Bank.

72

Rapid Assessment Program

4, 8, 11, 12-15, 17, 20, 25, 26, 29, 33, 37-40, 43

are widely distributed in the Caribbean (Littler and Littler 2000). Records of another seven algae and one seagrass
species (Table 2) are also signiﬁcant from a conservation
standpoint because they are scarce in Brazil (Oliveira et al.
1983; Moura et al. 1998; Horta 2000) and also restricted tojust a few areas in the Atlantic Ocean (Guiry 2000).
The most speciose families in Abrolhos (Dictyotaceae,
Udoteaceae, Caulerpaceae and Corallinaceae) also correspond to the most speciose families in the Caribbean
region (Littler and Littler 2000). However, the occurrenceof small-sized algae that commonly form ﬁlamentous turfs
in Abrolhos, such as Sphacelariaceae and Ceramiaceae(Figueiredo 1997), may have been under-recorded. Many
algae belonging to the richest families are well known for being herbivore-resistant, either by having deterrent secondary
metabolites or by their tough calciﬁed thalli (Hay and Duﬀy
1990; Hay and Fenical 1992; Hay et al.1994; Hay 1997;
Paul 1997; Pitlick and Paul 1997). This suggests that ﬁsh, as
the main herbivorous group on Abrolhos reefs, may inﬂuence the distribution patterns of macroalgae (Villaça andPitombo 1997; Figueiredo 2000).
The analysis of algal community structure at the functional group level indicated three reef communities according toa gradient of disturbance levels: one dominated by turf algae,
one dominated by frondose macroalgae and one coveredby either zoanthids or corals. Turfs of smaller, short-lived
algae are expected to dominate under intermediate levelsof grazing, while large and long-lived macroalgae occupy
areas where herbivores are restricted from foraging—suchas reef ﬂats or in wave-exposed sublittoral zones (Steneck
and Dethier 1994). It seems that the greater abundance andsize of herbivorous ﬁsh at oﬀshore reefs within the Abrolhos
National Park (Ferreira and Gonçalves 1999) may explain
the abundance of turf algae in the Parcel dos Abrolhos. In
contrast, most coastal reefs dominated by large macroalgae
may be areas with low grazing pressure due to overﬁshingand other anthropogenic impacts.
Algal functional groups also were distinguished between
rich reef clusters: turf algae were the most common species
found on columnar reefs while other macroalgae species(foliose, corticated and coriaceous) were dominant on coastal

Diversity of macrophytes on the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Corumbau
Fishing
Reserve
Corumbau
MarineExtractive
ReserveI thank Guilherme Fraga Dutra (Coservation International
Brasil) for helping with data collection in the ﬁeld.

100
Cover (%)

80

Invertebrates

60

Corallines

40

Macroalgae

20

Turf Algae

REFERENCES

0
10

12

13

14

16

17

18

Abrolhos National Park
100

100

Areas

80
Cover (%)

Cover (%)

80

Outside Protected
Area

60
40
20

60
40
20

0

0

30

34

35

38

39

40

27

28

41

Ponta
dada
Baleia/Abrolhos
Ponta
Baleia APA EPA

Cover (%)

100
80
60
40
20
0
1

2

3

4

6

9

19

22

23

36

37

43

45

RAP Sites

Figure 4. Relative cover of sessile reef organisms among RAP Sites within andoutside protected areas of the Abrolhos Bank.

bank reefs and soft bottoms covered by rhodoliths. Sedimentary bottoms diﬀer from reefs because they support episamic
algae, such as Avrainvillea, Caulerpa, Penicillus, Rhipocephallus, Udotea and seagrass species. Very shallow and deeper
reefs that were species poor, probably because of limited
algae growth and survival, were segregated from most otherreef sites. These sites were exposed to physical stresses such aswave exposure and limited light attenuation, and low species
diversity is expected under extreme levels of environmental
stress (Menge and Sutherland 1987). Species richness also
increased at intermediate productive sites where the algal
canopy was near 10 cm height. Many studies of land plants
also have suggested that diversity and richness may be highest at intermediate levels of productivity (Begon et al. 1990).
The most productive and richest areas assessed during
this survey were the Corumbau Marine Extractive Reserve
followed by Parcel das Paredes within the Ponta da Baleia/
Abrolhos EPA. Rare algae species were found within boththese areas. Abrolhos National Park contained 85% of thetotal species found on the Abrolhos Bank, though overall it
seemed to have relatively low productivity. Grazing pressure seems to be an important factor explaining low canopy
height on Abrolhos oﬀshore reefs, as compared to othercoastal reef areas where ﬁshing pressure is higher, allowing
frondose macroalgae to out-compete corals.

Amado, G. M., Andrade, L. R., Reis, R. P., Bastos, W. andPfeiﬀer, W. C. 1997. Heavy metal concentrations in aseaweed species from the Abrolhos reef region, Brazil.
Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 2: 1843–1846.
Begon, M., Harper, J. L. and Townsend, C. R. 1990. Ecology. Individuals, populations and communities. Blackwell Scientiﬁc Publications: Cambridge, 2nd edition.
Clarke, K. R. and Warwick, R. M. 1997. Change in marine
communities: an approach to statistical analysis andinterpretation. Plymouth Marine Laboratory, 2nd edition.
Coutinho, R., Villaça, R. C., Magalhaes, C. A., Guimaraens,
M. A., Apolinário, M. and Muricy, G. 1993. Inﬂuência antrópica nos ecossistemas coralinos da região de
Abrolhos, Bahia, Brasil. Acta Biológica Leopoldinense
15: 133–144.
Creed, J. C. and Amado Filho, G. M. 1999. Disturbanceand recovery of the macroﬂora of a seagrass (Halodule
wrightii Ascherson) meadow in the Abrolhos Marine National Park, Brazil: an experimental evaluation of anchor
damage. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology andEcology 235: 285–306.
Ferreira, C. E. L. and Gonçalves, J. E. A. 1999. The unique
Abrolhos reef formation (Brazil): need for speciﬁc management strategies. Coral Reefs 18: 352.
Figueiredo, M. A. O. 1997. Colonization and growth ofcrustose coralline algae in Abrolhos, Brazil. Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 1:
689–694.
Figueiredo, M. A. O. 2000. Recifes de coral ou recifes dealgas? Ciência Hoje 28 (166): 74–76.
Guiry, M. D. 2000. Algae Base (http://www.seaweed.ie/)
Hay, M. E. 1997. Calciﬁed seaweeds on coral reefs: complex
defenses, trophic relationships, and value as habitats.
Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 1: 713–718.
Hay, M. E. and Duﬀy, E. 1990. Specialist herbivores reduce
their susceptibility to predation by feeding on the chemically defended seaweed Avrainvillea longicaulis. Limnology and Oceanography 35: 1734–1743.
Hay, M. E. and Fenical, W. 1992. Chemical mediationof seaweed-herbivore interactions. In: John, D. M.,
Hawkins, S. J. and Price, J. H. (eds.). Plant-Animal
interactions in the marine benthos. Oxford: Clarendon
Press. Pp. 319–337.
Hay, M. E., Kappel, Q. E. and Fenical, W. 1994. Synergisms in plant defenses against herbivores: interactions ofAbrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

73

chemistry, calciﬁcation, and plant quality. Ecology 75(6):1714–1726.
Horta, P. A. 2000. Macroalgas do infralitoral do sul do
Brasil: taxonomia e biogeograﬁa. PhD. Thesis, Universityof São Paulo.
IBAMA-FUNATURA. 1991. Plano de Manejo: ParqueNacional Marinho dos Abrolhos Instituto Brasileiro do
Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis /Fundação Pró-Natureza.
Joly, A. B., Oliveira Filho, E. C. and Narchi, W. E. 1969.
Projeto de criação de um parque nacional marinho naregião de Abrolhos, Bahia. Anais da Academia BrasileiraCiênciancias 41: 247–251.
Littler, D. S. and Littler, M. M. 2000. Caribbean reef plants.
Washington, D.C.: Oﬀshore Graphics Inc.
Menge, B. A. and Sutherland, J. P. 1987. Community
regulation: variation in disturbance, competition andpredation in relation to gradients of environmental stressand recruitment. American Naturalist130: 730–757.
Moura, C. W. N., Cordeiro-Marino, M. and Guimarães, S.
M. P. B. 1998. Trichogloea requienii (Montagne) Kützing(Rhodophyta: Liagoraceae) no litoral do Brasil. Revista.
Brasileira de Biologia 59(1): 151–159.
Oliveira, E. C. 1977. Algas marinhas bentonicas do Brasil.
Ph.D. Thesis, University of São Paulo.
Oliveira, E. C., Pirani, J. R. and Giulietti, A. M. 1983. The
Brazilian seagrasses. Aquatic Botany. 16(3): 251–267.
Paul, V. J. 1997. Secondary metabolites and calcium carbonate as defenses of calcareous algae on coral reefs. Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 1:
707–712.
Pitlik, T. J. and Paul, V. J. 1997. Eﬀects of toughness,
calcite level, and chemistry of crustose coralline algae(Rhodophyta, Corallinales) on grazing by the parrot ﬁsh
Clorurus sordidus. Proceedings of the 8th International
Coral Reef Symposium 1: 701–706.
Steneck, R. S. and Dethier, M. N. 1994. A functional group
approach to the structure of algal-dominated communities. Oikos 69: 476–498.
Villaça, R. and Pitombo, F. B. 1997. Benthic communities of shallow-water reefs of Abrolhos, Brazil. Revista
Brasileira de Oceanograﬁa 45(1/2): 35–43.

74

Rapid Assessment ProgramChapter 5
The Characteristics of Bottom Sediments
Zelinda M. A. N. Leão, Leo X. C. Dutra and Saulo Spanó

SUMMARY•

Sand and mud are the most common bottom sediments surrounding the reefs surveyed in
the Abrolhos region. Coarse (gravel) sediments are relatively uncommon.

•

Previous work reported relatively high levels of siliciclastic-dominated sediments in the
Abrolhos region, however high levels were not evident in most samples collected during
the current study. The reason for this discrepancy is that bottom samples were collectedclose to reefs and therefore contained bioclastic material from reef organisms rather thansediment transported from shore.

•

Muddy sediments were mostly of biogenic origin, probably resulting from bioerosional
activities of various boring organisms.

•

Abrolhos is characterized by a relict coral fauna that apparently has a relatively higher
tolerance to muddy conditions than most modern coral faunas.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inﬂuence of reef-building organisms on thesurrounding sediments. Reef-building organisms shed sediments around the surrounding
reef area, possibly extending for a considerable distance beyond the limits of a particular reef
complex, and creating a new environment for other organisms that otherwise could not live in
the area.
According to previous surveys of the area, the bottom sediments of the Abrolhos Bank arecharacterized by a transition of siliciclastic dominant sediments along the nearshore area topure carbonate sediments on the middle and outer shelves (Leão and Brichta 1996). This
sediment transition, according to Leão (1982), is clearly seen on a transect between the coastand the oﬀshore “chapeirões” of the Parcel dos Abrolhos (Fig. 1). Coastal sediments have 30 to
70% of siliciclastic constituents, but on the closest oﬀshore reefs this terrigenous content may
be less than 10%, due to the contribution of reef -derived material. The siliciclastic content in
the sand fraction is mainly composed of quartz grains that are abundant along the coast, andmica and clay minerals, which accumulate preferentially in the deepest areas around the coastal
reefs. In the mud fraction, the terrigenous content can reach up to 60% on the leeward sideof nearshore reefs. The biogenic constituents that compose the sediments on reefs nearest thecoast and on oﬀshore reefs, are predominantly skeletal in origin, composed of grains formedin situ by various reef organisms (Leão and Ginsburg 1997). In coastal areas, the argillaceouscomponent of the muddy fraction consists mainly of clay minerals of a continental origin, but
at oﬀshore outer reefs of the Parcel dos Abrolhos carbonate minerals predominate (Leão 1982,
Knoppers et al. 1999).

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

75

Chapter 5

Figure 1. Distribution of superﬁcial bottom sediments in the inter-reefal area of Abrolhos (according to Leão 1982; Leão and Ginsburg 1997).

Figure 2. Sediment texture, based on relative composition of major grain size fractions (gravel >2mm), sand (between 2mm and 0.062mm) and mud (<0.062mm).

76

Rapid Assessment Program

The Characteristics of Bottom Sediments

’ 18
14

Grain
Size

15

Corumbau 16

17
13
11
12

This report describes the characteristics of bottom sediments surrounding the Abrolhos reefs. It deals with the texture and composition of bottom samples, and also discusses
the processes that may have been responsible for the spatial
coexistence of coral reefs and muddy deposits.

Mud
GravelMETHODS

Sand

10

1
0

A diver, utilizing scuba gear, collected sediment samples
in close proximity to the reef. A total of 45 samples weretaken (see map and Table 1 of the “Overview” of thisvolume). Each sample was washed with fresh water througha 0.062mm sieve to eliminate salts, oven dried at a low temperature, sieved through 01 phi spaced sieves, and weighed.
Grain size analysis was performed on every sample except
those from RAP sites 8 and 9, which were lost. Data from 43
selected samples were plotted on graphs and maps in order
to illustrate the distribution of major sediment fractions,such as gravel (size fraction > 2mm), sand (size fractions
between 2mm and 0.062mm) and mud (size fraction<0.062mm). The reason only 43 samples were utilized forthe maps is because at most reefs 2–3 samples were locatedvery close to each other, in which case only one randomly
selected sample was used.
With a stereomicroscope, 200 grains from each size fraction of the 43 selected samples were point-counted andthe grain types identiﬁed. Fragments of thirteen groups oforganisms were chosen for identiﬁcation because they occurred in most samples. The groups included coralline algae,molluscs, Halimeda, foraminifera, bryozoans, echinoderms,

20m

41
9

42
39

40
Alc obaça

38

43
44

36

19

Caravelas

37
45

10m

6
1

5

3

27

21

23

22

2

24

28

20

7
4

33

25

o

29

32 34
26

35 30
31

39º00

38º30

Figure 3. Distribution of major sediment grain size fractions: gravel (>2mm), sand
(2mm–0.062mm) and mud (<0.062mm).

Coraline algae

MolluscHalimeda

Bryozoa

Other organisms

Siliciclastic grains

Foraminifera

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
1

2

3

4

5

6

7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

RAP Sites
Figure 4. Sediment composition of grain sizes > 0.125mm.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

77

Chapter 5

ostracods, corals, tube worms, radiolarians, alcyonarian andsponge spicules, and crustaceans. Quartz grains and rockfragments were the most common siliciclastic grains. Mica
ﬂakes and heavy minerals were less common, but also wereplotted as siliciclastics. Very ﬁne sand (grain size between
0.125mm and 0.062mm) and silt size fractions (<0.062mm)
were identiﬁed as either biodetritic or siliciclastic particles,
because of the diﬃculty of identifying the organisms. The
results of this analysis were plotted on graphs and maps toshow the distribution of the most common constituent particles in the study area. Only the major components (i.e., occurrence in over 5% of the samples) are shown on the graphs
and maps. These are the coralline algae, molluscs, Halimeda,
foraminifera, and bryozoans. The remaining less common
particles were grouped as “other organisms”.
RESULTS
Sediment Grain Size

Figure 5. Distribution of major sediment components of gravel (>2mm) and sand(between 2.00 and 0.125mm).

Two major types of grain size, sand and mud, characterize
the sampled area. These sediments generally constituted
more than 50% of a sample at the majority of stations. The
gravel fraction was much less common, exceeding 50% in
only one sample (RAP site 27), and more than 30% in four
samples (RAP sites 25, 26, 29, 41; Fig. 2).
Sand was the predominant particle size at 18 stations.
These sandy samples, which were randomly distributed in
the study area, did not show any characteristic pattern ofdeposition (Fig. 3).

Figure 6. Composition of very ﬁne sand (grain size between 0.125mm and 0.062mm) and silt (grain size <0.062mm) in RAP survey sediment samples.

78

Rapid Assessment Program

The Characteristics of Bottom Sediments

Mud also constitutes a signiﬁcant portion of the sedimentdeposits in the sampled area, dominating at almost half ofthe stations (RAP sites 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 15, 17, 18, 23, 30, 34,
35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 43, 44, and 45; Fig. 2). Similar to thesandy samples, the muddy sediments lack a characteristic
pattern of distribution (Fig. 3). However, most of the samples were collected between reef structures, a deposition zonethat usually functions as a trap for ﬁne-grained sediments.
In samples having gravel fraction percentages higher than
30% (RAP sites 25, 26, 27, 29 and 41; Fig. 2), the sedimentis predominantly composed of rhodoliths (isolated growthsof red algae). These samples were collected far from thecoast, where carbonate sediment predominates.

Quartz grains were the most common siliciclastic component followed by rock fragments, mica ﬂakes and heavy
minerals. All these components are grouped as “siliciclastic
grains”. They were not major constituents in the collected
samples, occurring in concentrations of more than 5% in
only ﬁve samples (RAP sites 1, 6, 16, 22, and 32; Fig. 4).
With the exception of RAP site 32 in the Abrolhos Archipelago, all the others are from stations along the coastal arcof reefs, located closer to the shoreline (Fig. 5).
Thirteen types of carbonate particles were present in mostof the samples. They are: coralline algae, molluscs, Halimeda, foraminifera, bryozoans, echinoderms, ostracods, coral,
tube worms, radiolarians, alcyonarians and sponge spicules,
and crustaceans. Only coralline algae, molluscs, Halimeda,
foraminifera, and bryozoans had more than a 5% occurrence in several samples, and thus are represented in Fig. 4.
The remaining grain types were grouped as “other organisms”. Fragments of coralline algae were the most common
constituents in sediment samples, present in all the ones
analyzed. They constituted more than 30% of the samples
from 36 stations, including those where either sand or gravel
made up more than 50% of the content (RAP sites 1, 2, 10,
12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, and 33;
Fig. 4). Molluscs also were present at all stations, but lessabundant than coralline algae (percentages varying between
2.5 and 34.5). Halimeda fragments, bryozoans and foraminifera tests were the next three most common sedimentarycomponents, occurring in almost all the samples.
Halimeda was lacking in RAP sites 29 and 44, as were
foraminifera in RAP sites 22 and 23, and bryozoans in RAP
site 2. The occurrence of samples in which Halimeda fragments and foraminifera tests exceeded 20% of the contents
was recorded in six samples (RAP sites 14, 39, 40, 42, 43,
and 45), all of which were located in the coastal arc of reefs(see Fig. 5). In this ﬁgure the fragments of Halimeda, foraminifera and bryozoa are grouped with the remaining ones
as “other organisms”. The occasional occurrence of an organism with large size can produce an unexpected result in somesamples as it is seen in RAP sites 3 and 44 where crustacean
debris reached up to 15% and 37% respectively. For theremaining constituents grouped as “other organisms”, four
stations had more than a 20% content (RAP sites 3, 20, 30,
and 44). This result is due to the occasional presence of one
or two organisms with a large size. For example, crustacean
debris was the most abundant constituent in RAP sites 3(15%) and 44 (37%), and octocorallia and sponge spicules
were major components of RAP sites 20, 30, and 44.

Sediment composition

Composition of ﬁne sediment

The constituent composition of the sediment refers to therelative abundance of the diﬀerent grain size particles. The
identiﬁcation of the grains was facilitated by comparison
with a laboratory collection and published works of Ginsburg (1956), Pestana (1977), Horowitz and Potter (1971)
and Milliman (1974).

This sediment refers to very ﬁne sand and silt (grain size <125µ). Due to diﬃculties in recognizing particle types, thegrains were classiﬁed either as bioclasts (grains of biogenic
origin) or as siliciclasts (grains of terrigenous origin). It is
important to analyze these sediment components because
they constitute the material that causes water turbidity. Their

Figure 7. Distribution of major sediment types for very ﬁne sand (grain size
between 0.125mm and 0.062mm) and silt (grain size <0.062mm) component of
sediment samples.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

79

Chapter 5

nature also identiﬁes their origin, from either a continental
water ﬂow or from an in situ process.
The siliciclastic component is mostly quartz grains, which
are present in almost all sampled stations (absent only from
RAP sites 14, 17, 31, and 34; Fig. 6). Their occurrence isgreater than 10% in twelve samples (RAP sites 1, 6, 10, 12,
16, 20, 32, 36, 42, 43, 44, and 45), and all but that from
Site 32 are located around the reefs of the coastal arc (Fig. 7).
The bioclastic component is the dominant constituent of
this ﬁne sediment. With few exceptions, it constitutes morethan 80% of the analyzed samples, which are distributed
throughout the entire study area (Fig. 7). Typical sedimentis composed of 97% bioclastic mud with a small portion ofbiogenic sand (3%) grains such as foraminifer tests, coralline
algae and mollusc fragments.
Source of the sediments

The siliciclastic component of the sediment occurs mainly
around reefs in the coastal arc and has two major sources:a) reworked material eroded from coastal cliﬀs (Tertiary
sediments of the Barreiras Group), and b) river sediments
transported to the area by currents. The siliciclastic content
of RAP site 32 (Abrolhos Archipelago) probably resulted
from the erosion of rocky outcrops along the island shores.
Previous work (Leão 1982) reported a high percentage ofsiliciclastic sediment around nearshore reefs, containing
between 30% and 70% terrigenous material. However, thesehigh levels of siliciclastic sediments were not evident in most
samples during the current study. The reason for this discrepancy is that bottom samples were collected close to reefs andtherefore contained bioclastic material from reef organisms
rather than from distant environments.
The make-up of the biogenic component is predominantly
skeletal in origin. Part of this material has a detrital source,
resulting from the breakdown of the reef ’s structure (mostly
coralline algae, Millepora, and coral), and another part iscomposed of grains formed in situ by various reef organisms.
The bioclastics of the sand fraction commonly included
fragments of molluscs, echinoderms, foraminifera, ostracods,bryozoans, and calcareous algae (particularly Halimeda).
The carbonate ﬁne-grained fractions probably resulted
from the bioerosion caused by various boring organisms,
and are trapped at the bottom of the inter-reef channels.
This ﬁne sediment is resuspended during periods of strong
waves and currents, resulting in turbid water. One of themain components of coarse (gravel-size) fractions is living
rhodoliths.
DISCUSSION

Leão (1982) and Leão and Ginsburg (1997) suggested thatthe coexistence of reef building and muddy depositionin Abrolhos is the result of: a) the absence of large ﬂuvial
discharges facing the reefs, b) the occasional resuspension of80

Rapid Assessment Program

ﬁne grained bottom sediments, and c) the adaptation of thecoral fauna to turbid waters.
The coastal belt of the Abrolhos region has a humid
tropical climate, and weather records indicate that rainfall
in this area is seasonal (INMET 1993). Therefore, sedimentdelivery by larger rivers (located more than 200 km north of
the reefs) only reaches the area periodically, allowing interim
reef development.
The ﬁne-grained terrigenous sediment delivered to theshelf becomes ﬂocculated and is deposited on the inner shelf,
within inter-reef channels. Only during short-term events,
such as winter storms, does a large portion of this sedimentbecome suspended and aﬀects reefs. Thus, the harmful effects of muddy sediments on reefs are only occasional.
A framework of corals, Millepora, and coralline algae ischaracteristic of the Abrolhos reefs. Corals show very low diversity, but have signiﬁcant endemism. Some of the endemic
species, which also are the most common species on modern
reefs, are related to Tertiary forms. These evolutionary relicts
seem to exhibit a higher tolerance to muddy conditions thando many other corals. Considering these facts, the low diversity of Abrolhos corals could be due to the inhibiting eﬀects
of muddy sediments. Only more resistant and better-adaptedrobust corals are able to withstand the relatively stressful
conditions of the Abrolhos reef environment.
REFERENCES

Ginsburg, R. N. 1956. Environmental relationship of grain
size and constituent particles in some South Floridacarbonate sediments. American Association of Petroleum
Geologists Bulletin. 40(10): 2384–2427.
Horowitz, A. S. and P. E. Potter. 1971. Introductory
petrography of fossil. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg.
INMET, 1993. Dados da Estação Meteorológica de Caravelas-Ba. Salvador, Instituto de Metereologia da Bahia.
Brasil (Unpublished database).
Knoppers, B., M. Meyerhöfer, E. Marone, J. Dutz, R. Lopes,
T. Leipe, and R. Camargo. 1999. Compartments of thepelagic system and material exchange at the Abrolhos
Bank coral reefs, Brazil. Archive of Fishery and Marine
Research. 47(2/3): 285–306.
Leão, Z. M. A. N. 1982. Morphology, geology and developmental history of the southernmost coral reefs ofWestern Atlantic, Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. Ph.D. thesis.
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science,
University of Miami. Miami, FloridaLeão, Z. M. A. N. and A. Brichta. 1996. A plataforma
continental da Bahia. In: Barbosa, J. F. and J. M. L.
Dominguez (eds.). Texto básico para o mapa geológico
da Bahia ao milionésimo, Governo da Bahia, Superintendência de Geologia e Recursos Minerais, Cap. IX, pp.
184–198.
Leão, Z. M. A. N. and R. N. Ginsburg. 1997. Living reefs
surrounded by siliciclastic sediments: the Abrolhos

The Characteristics of Bottom Sediments

coastal reefs, Bahia, Brazil. Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium 8(2): 1767–1772.
Milliman, J. 1974. Marine carbonates. Springer-Verlag, NewYork.
Pestana, H. R. 1977. Guide for identiﬁcation of carbonate
grains and carbonate producing organisms. Bermuda
Biological Station Special Publication 13: 1–53.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

81

Chapter 6
Soft-Bottom molluscs of the Abrolhos Bank
Ricardo S. Absalão

SUMMARY•

A total of 293 species of molluscs belonging to 81 families and 164 genera was collectedduring the RAP survey. Gastropods comprised 81% of the mollusc fauna, and the richestfamilies were Turridae and Pyramidellidae, with 26 taxa each.

•

A total of 39 sites was sampled, with a mean of 7.5 mollusc species per site. In terms of
total number of species collected, the Abrolhos RAP expedition ranked second for any
survey carried out on the Brazilian coast, but ranks ﬁrst in the number of new additions
to the Brazilian malacofauna. Seventeen species were recorded for the ﬁrst time from theBrazilian coast, and the known geographical ranges of 36 species were extended. The richest RAP Sites were 35, 33 and 7, with 91, 69 and 68 taxa respectively.

•

The malacofauna was dominated by small molluscs (species less than 10mm-long), 18 ofwhich are endemic to the Brazilian coast.

•

Including one species recently described from this survey, there are probably nineteen species new to science that, together with the endemics, total 38 species (12.9%). This highlevel of endemism suggests the existence of a discrete biogeographic unit oﬀ the northeast
coast of Brazil.

•

The presence of a few species with cryophilic aﬃnities can be explained by the paleocirculation of the southwest Atlantic during the last Holocene Transgression, when theinﬂuence of the Malvinas (“Falklands”) Current reached the southern part of the Abrolhos
Bank.

INTRODUCTION

The phylum Mollusca is among the most diverse animal groups on the planet, exceeded in
number of species only by the Arthropoda. In the marine environment they are by far the mostdiverse group and, because of their extreme trophic diversiﬁcation, they occupy nearly all conceivable niches. This trophic diversity makes them suitable indicators of the overall biologicaldiversity of the communities where they live.
For centuries, larger molluscs have been collected intensively and traded. As a result, they
became widely known. Mollusc species measuring less than 10 mm in length (herein termed
micromolluscs) have received comparatively much less attention than their larger counterparts,and still remain poorly known.
This in part explains why knowledge of the Brazilian marine mollusc fauna is still incomplete. Morretes (1949) was the ﬁrst to summarize the contemporary knowledge of the taxonomy of the Brazilian malacofauna. Later, Rios (1970, 1985, 1994) published a series of books

82

Rapid Assessment ProgramSoft-Bottom molluscs of the Abrolhos Bank

continuing Morretes’ pioneering eﬀorts. These works by Rios
stimulated taxonomic studies of marine molluscs, and sincethen the knowledge of marine malacology in Brazil has beenslowly reﬁned.
MATERIAL AND METHODS

Molluscs were collected from 39 sites during the RAP Survey. At each location, a 100 mm core sampler operated andmonitored by SCUBA divers was employed for sampling.
Locations were selected with the intention of representing
the widest possible range of habitats. However, no intertidal
collections were made. Although this survey was intended
to target the molluscs of unconsolidated substrates, banks ofHalophyla sp. were also sampled. Molluscs obtained only as
empty shells were considered as well as those collected alive,
because if shells are in good enough condition for identiﬁcation, they provide a reliable indication that the animals lived
in the sediment itself or in the immediate surroundings. In
general, molluscs collected during this survey were identiﬁed
by comparing them with other collections deposited at the
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Zoology Department Mollusc Collection, and by use of specialized references such as Abbott (1974), Diaz and Puyana (1990), de
Jong and Coomans (1988), and Rios (1994).

Table 2. Species with known ranges extended based on the Abrolhos RAP Survey
results.

Longitudinal range extensions
records

Latitudinal range extensions
records

Ichnoplax edwini

Solemya occidentalis

Acanthochitona ciroi

Limaria thryptica

Nuculana semen

Cyclopecten leptaleus

Barbatia tenera

Crassinella martinicensis

Pitar albidus

Crassinella marplatensis

Diodora jaumei

Tellina gibber

Trivia nix

Paviturbo weberi

Epitonium multistriatum

Gabrielona sulcifera

Volvarina aﬀ. Roberti

Solariorbis shumoi

Pyrgospira tampensis

Farfatia germaine

Mangelia biconica

Cosmioconha calliglypta

Buchema aﬀ. Interpleura

Ancilla dimidiata

Nannodiela vespuciana

Compsodrillia haliostrephis

Cryoturris citronella

Splendrillia coralinae

Odostomia unidentata

Mitrolumnina biblicata

Miralda havanensis

Cryoturris adamsi

Acteocina lepta

Eulimastoma canaliculata
Cylichna verrilli
Volvulella texaxiana

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A total of 293 taxa belonging to 81 families and 164 genera
was recorded (see Appendix 1). Of the 81 families, 56 aregastropods, 20 pelecypods, three scaphopods, and two poly-

Table 1. Mollusc inventories from the Brazilian continental shelf. An asterisk indicates an estimate based on gastropod richness. Legend: CS = Continental Shelf; vv = van
Veen; d = dredge, t = trawl, hc = hand corer; # is preceded by the number of collecting sites.

Reference

LatitudeHabitat/
Sample method

Mollusc richness

Gastropod richness

Sampling effort/
Mollusc richness

Abrolhos RAP

18o39’S

3–30m, hc, SCUBA,
39#

293

238 (81.0%)

7.5

Floeter (1996)

21o00’S

15–18m, hc,
SCUBA, 9#244*

161 (65.9%)

27.1

Absalão (1989)

21o30’Sd, 30#

191

111 (56.3%)

6.3

Miyaji (1995)

22o30’S

10–100m, vv, d, t,
114#

472

254 (53.8%)

4.2

Absalão et al. (1999)

22o30’S

10–30m, vv,d, 17#152

108 (71.1%)

8.9

Alves (1991)

22o55’S

vv, 25#197

111 (53.6%)

7.9

Neves (1994)

23o00’S

10–100m, d, 22#263

130 (68.1%)

11.9

Absalão (1986)

23o00’S

10–50m, vv, 65#

82

56 (68.3%)

1.2

Absalão (1991)

32o00’S

10–50m, d, 44#93

40 (43.0%)

2.1

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

83

Chapter 6

Table 3. New records of Mollusca for the Brazilian coast.

Parvilucina multilineata

Plyctiderma notata

Teinostoma leremum

Teinostoma incertum

Teinostoma clavium

Teinostoma cryptospira

Cochliolepis parasitica

Cerithiopsis subulatum

Melanella conica

Colubraria cf. swifti

Turbonilla penistoni

Turbonilla deboeri

Turbonilla pupoidesd

Salassiella krumpermanni

Bacteridium bermudensis

Pilsbryspira cf. sayana

Table 4. Brazilian endemic molluscs recorded at the Abrolhos Bank.

Sinezona brasiliensis

Rissoina indiscreta

Arene aﬀ. boucheti

Protobarleeia pyrrocinta

Caelatura barcellosi

Caecum brasilicum

Melanella sarissa

Chicoreus coltrorum

Poirieria oregonia

Caducifer atlanticus

Fusinus brasiliensis

Olivella deﬁorei

Olivella (Olivina) sp.

Volvarina serrei

Vexillum kaicherae

Turbonilla brasiliensis

Conus abrolhosensis

Collisella abrolhosensis

Calliostoma gemmosum

Table 5. Mollusc taxa recorded during the Abrolhos RAP survey that possibly
represent undescribed species.

Cyclostrema sp.

84

Vitrinella sp.

Antriclimax sp.

Macromphalina sp.

Triphora sp. A

Cerithiopsis sp.

Triphora sp. B

Melanella sp. A

Graphis sp.

Melanella sp. B

Henrya sp.

Mitrella sp.

Eratoidea sp.

Volvarina sp.

Vexilum (Pusia) sp.

Miralda sp.

Turbonilla sp. A

Sayella sp.

Turbonilla sp. B

Rapid Assessment Program

placophorans. RAP Sites 35, 33 and 7 were richest locations
with 91, 69 and 68 taxa, respectively.
The Gastropoda were clearly dominant, comprising
81% of the identiﬁed taxa. Although gastropods normallyconstitute the largest component in the tropical malacofaunaalong the Brazilian coast, this is the highest proportion yet
recorded from any survey in Brazil (Table 1).
The collecting gear employed in the present survey was
designed to collect sediment-dwelling molluscs. However,the samples revealed the presence of various species associated with hard bottoms. For example, 11 species ofﬁssurelids were recorded, as well as various epibionts (e.g.,
Bitium varium, Alaba incerta, and Finella dubia) associatedwith algae that require a hard substrate. These three species comprised 50% of all individuals collected. Therefore,
it is inferred that the unconsolidated substrate adjacent tocalcareous/coralline formations received many and frequent
contributions of molluscs typically associated with hard substrates. The manual operation of the collecting gear allowed
samples to be obtained from quite close to these formations,which created the potential for contributions of malacofauna
typical of hard substrates. The Fissurellidae, typical inhabitants of consolidated substrates, were among the richest families. The most diverse families of Gastropoda were Turridae
and Pyramidellidae with 26 taxa each, and Vitrinellidae with
17 taxa, followed by Caecidae, Fissurellidae, and Muricidae
each with 11 taxa. The most frequent Pelecypoda found insamples were Pectinidae and Tellinidae with seven taxa each,and Arcidae with six.
Table 1 shows that in spite of a limited sampling eﬀort,
the RAP survey produced the second largest species list for
any Brazilian coastal locality. In absolute terms, this list
is exceeded only by that of Miyaji (1995), who made themost intensive collection yet along the Brazilian coast (114
samples taken with three diﬀerent kinds of collecting gearover a two-year period). In proportion to collecting eﬀort
and area sampled, the RAP Survey yielded one of the richest
lists of marine molluscs yet obtained for any region in Brazil.
The known geographical ranges were extended for 36 species, or 12.3% of the 293 taxa identiﬁed (Table 2). Sixteen
taxa (5.8% of the total taxa inventoried) were recorded forthe ﬁrst time from the Brazilian coast (Table 3). At least
19 taxa (6.5%) are endemic to the Brazilian coast (Table4), and an equal number of species is possibly undescribed(Table 5). Of these, Mitrella sp., Eratoidea sp., Turbonilla sp.
A, and Turbonilla sp. B are in the process of being formallydescribed.
From a biogeographical point of view, the malacofauna of
the Abrolhos Bank shows a considerable similarity to that of
the Caribbean, and is predominantly thermophilic. However, the presence of species such as Solemya occidentalis, Cyclopecten leptaleus, Crassinella martinicensis, Solariorbis shumoi,
and Cosmioconcha calliglypta, among others, reveals a small
but highly signiﬁcant component of species that are eurythermal with cryophilic aﬃnities. Absalão (1989) showedthat the proportion of eurythermal molluscs with cryophilic

Soft-Bottom molluscs of the Abrolhos Bankaﬃnities found on the continental shelf oﬀ the state of Riode Janeiro (~ 22oS) varied between 9 and 40% according toseason and collection method, and explained their occurrence as a consequence of the upwelling which occurs along
the entire coast of that state that is especially pronounced in
the region of Cabo Frio (Silva, 1973).
It is likely that the physical complexity of a biologicallyconstructed habitat only partly explains the elevated species
richness on the Bank. Both present and past oceanographic
conditions must be considered as well. For example, Emilson(1961) explained that the Brazil Current in its north-southpassage along the Brazilian continental shelf passes over shallow banks, which extend for several hundred miles eastwardof the Abrolhos region (18o S). Because of this obstacle,
one branch of the Brazil Current is diverted eastward andcauses disturbances in the vertical stratiﬁcation by bringing
water from great depths to the surface. The presence of thisnutrient-rich water near the surface is one of the reasons forthe relative abundance of marine life in this region. Damuth
and Fairbridge (1970) and Müehe (1983) proposed schemesof paleo-circulation that could also explain current richnessof the region’s malacofauna. According to these authors, theMalvinas (“Falklands”) Current advanced beyond the Tropicof Capricorn because of a change in the direction of theBrazil Current, which would have been deﬂected eastward atlower latitudes during the Holocene Transgression as a consequence of the dislocation of the South Atlantic high pressure cell about 10o northward. Thus, the occurrence of taxa
with cryophilic aﬃnities may represent relicts of a former
oceanographic circulation pattern that enriched the regional
malacofauna, which is typically thermophilic but includes a
few eurythermal elements with some cryophilic aﬃnities.
Coelho & Ramos (1972) proposed the existence of a marine faunistic province oﬀ the northeast coast of Brazil basedon the crustacean fauna. However, in the most recent generalbiogeographical analysis, Palacio (1982) did not support
that idea, and also proposed the Paulista Province, extending
from the coast of Rio de Janeiro State to northern Argentina.
Their apparently divergent opinions seem to result more as
an artifact of incomplete taxonomic knowledge than relevant
diﬀerences among distribution patterns of biodiversity.
Traditionally, the basic criterion for establishment of theseprovinces is the degree of endemism (Ekman 1953, Briggs
1974). Including the newly described barleeid mollusc(Absalão, 2002), Table 5 shows that a total of 6.8% of thespecies recorded during the Abrolhos Rap survey are potentially new to science, as well as being presently known only
from this region. If we add the number of species known
to be endemic to the Abrolhos and adjacent regions, suchas Muricopsis oxossi, Latirus ogum, Fusinus strigatus, Trophon
mucrone, Kryptos tholoides, Antillophos smithi, Voluta ebraea,
Plicoliva zelindae, Morum matthewsi, and Turbinella laevigata, there is justiﬁcation for establishing a discrete Abrolhos
biogeographical region based on molluscan endemism.
It is common in synecological studies not to include any
dead molluscs collected, because they may have changed

location after death. This is especially advisable withmicromolluscs. However, Absalão et al. (1999) tested thispossibility and concluded that passive transport of molluscs
after death was minimal and did not aﬀect the analysis ofco-occurrence patterns. Thus, the use of molluscs collected
as empty intact shells should not be interpreted as a possible
bias for a diversity study such as this one.
Another point to consider when comparing molluscs species richness among locations (Table 1), is whether or not
micromolluscs were adequately represented. The four highest
richness values (absolute or relative) were obtained frominventories in which micromolluscs were collected and identiﬁed. In addition, Absalão (1986) conducted a survey that
did not include micromolluscs, and the total species richness
was distinctly lower compared to other studies. Thus, micromolluscs emerge as an important, if not the most important
diversity component, not only of the malacofauna collectedby the current RAP survey, but also of similar studies oﬀ theBrazilian coast.
The data presented herein suggests that the Abrolhos
Bank represents a discrete endemism center that should bepreserved as a representative sample of the Brazilian marine
biodiversity.
REFERENCES

Abbott, R. T. 1974. American Seashells. New York: Van
Nostrand Reinhold.
Absalão, R. S. 1986. Moluscos da Comissão Oceanográﬁca
Geocosta Rio I, RJ, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Biologia
46: 27–31
Absalão, R. S. 1989. Padrões distributivos e zoogeograﬁa dos
moluscos da plataforma continental brasileira. Parte III.
Comissão Oceanográﬁca Espírito Santo I. Memórias do
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 84(4): 1–6.
Absalão, R. S. 1991. Environmental discrimination among
soft-bottom mollusc association oﬀ Lagoa dos Patos,
South Brazil. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 32:
71–86.
Absalão, R. S. 2002. Three new species of Barleeidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Rissoidea) from Brazil. Zootaxa 56:
1–7
Absalão, R. S., A. D. Pimenta, R. S. Gomes, and F. Cecchetti. 1999. Associações malacológicas dos substratos
inconsolidados na Área de Proteção Ambiental do Arquipélago de Santana, Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. In: Silva, S.
H. G. and H. P. Lavrado (eds.). Ecologia dos Ambientes
Costeiros do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Série Oecologia
Brasiliensis, vol. VII. Rio de Janeiro: Programa de Pós
Graduação em Ecologia-Universidade Federal do Rio deJaneiro. Pp. 273–289.
Alves, O. F. S. 1991. Associações de moluscos e equinodermos da plataforma continental interna entre Cabo Frioe Saquarema (RJ) e suas características ambientais. MSc.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

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thesis. Instituto de Geociências. Rio de Janeiro: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
Briggs, J. C. 1974. Marine Zoogeography. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Coelho, P. A. and M. A. Ramos. 1972. A constituição e
distribuição da fauna de Decapoda do litoral leste da
América do Sul entre 5o N e 39oS. Trabalhos Oceanográﬁcos 13. Recife: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco.
Pp. 133–236.
Damuth, J. E. and R. W. Fairbridge. 1970. Equatorial Atlantic deep sea arkosic sands and Ice-Age aridity in tropicalSouth America. Bulletim of the Geological Society ofAmerica 81: 189–206.
De Jong, K. M. and H. E. Coomans. 1988. Marine Gastropods from Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire. Leiden: E. J.
Brill.
Diaz, J. M. and M. H. Puyana. 1994. Moluscos del Caribe Colombiano. Santafe de Bogota: Fundação Natura/
INVEMAR.
Ekman, S. 1953. Zoogeography of the Sea. London: Sidwick
and Jackson.
Emilson, I. 1961. The shelf and coastal waters oﬀ southern
Brazil. Boletim do Instituto oceanográﬁco S.Paulo 11:
101–112.
Floeter, S. R. 1996. Padrões de biogeograﬁa e riqueza deespécies de gastrópodes da região de Marataízes- ES.
Considerações para o Atlântico Sul ocidental. M.Sc. thesis. Instituto de Biologia. Niterói: Universidade Federal
Fluminense.
Floeter, S. R. and A. Soares-Gomes. 1999. Biogeographic
and species richness patterns of Gastropoda on theSouthwestern Atlantic. Revista Brasileira de Biologia
59(4): 567–575.
Morretes, F.L. 1949. Ensaio de Catálogo de Moluscos do
Brasil. Arquivos do Museu Paranaense 7:1–226.
Müehe, D. 1983. Conseqüências hidroclimáticas das glaciações Quaternátias no relevo costeiro a leste da Baia
de Guanabara. Revista Brasileira de Geologia 13(4):245–252.
Miyaji, C. 1995. Composição e distribuição da fauna demoluscos gastrópodes e bivalves da plataforma continental da região da Bacia de Campos (Rio de Janeiro,
Brasil). MSc. thesis, Instituto Oceanográﬁco. São Paulo:
Universidade de São Paulo.
Neves, E. G. 1994. Padrões de distribuição geográﬁca dos
micromoluscos da plataforma continental do Estado do
Rio de Janeiro - Comissão Oceanográﬁca CABO FRIO
VII. Monograﬁa de Graduação, Instituto de Biologia.
Rio de Janeiro: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
Palacio, F. J. 1982. Revisión zoogeográﬁca marina del sur delBrasil. Boletim do Instituto Oceanográﬁco S. Paulo 31:
69–92.
Rios, E. C. 1970. Coastal Brazilian Seashells. Rio Grande:Museu Oceanográﬁco.
Rios, E. C. 1985. Seashells of Brazil. Rio Grande: Museu
Oceanográﬁco da Fundação Universidade do Rio Grande.

86

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Rios, E. C. 1994. Seahells of Brazil. Rio Grande: Museu Oceanográﬁco da Fundação Universidade do Rio Grande.
Silva, P. C. M. da. 1973. A ressurgência de Cabo Frio (I).
Boletim do Instituto de Pesquisas da Marinha 78: 1–60.

Chapter 7
Soft-bottom polychaetes of theAbrolhos Bank
Paulo C. Paiva

SUMMARY•

A total of 90 species belonging to 37 families of polychaetes was collected during theAbrolhos RAP survey. The most speciose families were Terebellidae, Spionidae, Orbiniidae, Nereididae and Lumbrineridae.

•

This survey added 86 new species records for the Abrolhos Bank.

•

39 sites were sampled, with a mean of 6.2 species per site. This is a very low mean value
when compared to that of other comparable soft-bottom surveys. The richest site (21species, RAP Site 21) was located in the outer part of Paredes Reefs, one of the mostsouthern and coastal sites within the RAP survey area.

•

No endemic species for the Abrolhos Bank were found; nevertheless three species (Scoloplos agrestis, Neopseudocapitella brasiliensis and Palola brasiliensis) previously recorded as
restricted to nearby areas in Sergipe, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro States, were found
for the ﬁrst time since their original descriptions.

•

The species collected were mainly cosmopolitan or shared with the Caribbean Biogeographical Province. However, the cosmopolitan status probably reﬂects the unresolved
taxonomy within some families.

•

Many of the most diverse sites were located in areas subjected to recent human disturbances, such as intense ﬁshing eﬀort and sediment input by coastal erosion caused bydeforestation. These sites are not within implemented marine protected areas and theirresident fauna may be at risk, owing to the low density of populations.

INTRODUCTION

Coral reefs are considered one of the most diverse ecosystems in the marine realm, at least for
those organisms directly associated with reef-building species. The adjacent soft-bottom fauna
is strongly inﬂuenced by reef erosion, which controls the pattern of sedimentation and input
of organic matter (see Leão et al. this volume). Documenting the diversity of these nearby softbottoms contributes to a better understanding of ecological processes and the overall biodiversity of coral reefs and associated ecosystems.
Although the Abrolhos Bank is well documented as a unique ecosystem in the South Atlantic with a mixture of coral reefs, calcareous algae and soft-sediments (Castro 1994), its polychaete fauna is almost unknown. Knowledge of Brazilian coastal polychaetes is primarily basedon several surveys from the southern coast, where soft-sediments dominate the continental
shelf (Lana 1996). The Abrolhos Region is of great interest for analyzing biogeographical pat-

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

87

Chapter 7

terns because it is located near the boundary of two biogeographic units (the Caribbean and the Paulista sub-provinces,sensu Palácio 1982).
Previous knowledge of soft-bottom polychaete biodiversity
from the Abrolhos Bank was restricted to scattered samples
provided by a few oceanographic surveys. Many historical
expeditions, such as those of the Challenger and the Eugenie, collected material along the Brazilian coast but did
not mention precise localities, except for those situated near
important cities and harbors (e.g., Rio de Janeiro, Recife).
The only surveys that referred to specimens collected at theAbrolhos Bank were conducted by Augener (1931) on the
Meteor expedition, and by Rullier and Amoureux (1979) on
the 1966 Calypso expedition. Samples were also collected anddeposited in taxonomic collections by several researchers,
but for the most part these consisted of coral reef-associatedpolychaetes from hard bottoms. As a result of this limited
collecting eﬀort, only 22 polychaete species, including thosefrom both hard and soft bottoms , had been recorded so far
for the entire Abrolhos Bank.
METHODSSix soft-bottom samples were obtained at each RAP Site surveyed (total of 39 sites), using cylindrical corers of 100 mm
diameter. Collected material was sieved in a 0.5 mm meshand ﬁxed in 10% formalin. Collections were preserved in
70% ethanol and sorted in the laboratory. All samples werecollected together with samples used for sediment analyses(Leão et al. this volume).
Identiﬁcations at the family and generic levels were performed according to taxonomic criteria adopted by Beesley
et al. (2000) and Fauchald (1977). Species identiﬁcation
was performed using an optical microscope. Specimens aredeposited in the Polychaete Collection of the Polychaete
Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Federal University of
Rio de Janeiro (IBUFRJ).
RESULTSA total of 90 species of polychaetes belonging to 37 families were found during the RAP survey (Appendix 1). The
most diverse families were Terebellidae (7 spp.), Spionidae(7 spp.), Orbiniidae (6 spp.), Lumbrineridae (6 spp.) and
Nereididae (6 spp.). Table 1 shows the 10 richest RAP Sites.
The mean number of species per site was 6.2, a very low
number when compared to several soft-bottom surveys fromother tropical areas (Alongi 1990).
One characteristic of tropical areas is their high proportionof locally rare species. The Abrolhos region conforms to thispattern, with 64 of the total 90 species identiﬁed during thissurvey occurring at only one or two sites. Only one species,
the trichobranchid Terebellides anguicomus, was found at
more than 10 sites, and only 9 species at more than 5 sites.

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Table 1. Ten richest RAP sites for polychaetes.

RAP Site
21
6
14
43
20
27
1
36
35
37

Location
Paredes Reefs
Coroa Vermelha Reef
Itacolomis Reefs
Paredes
Paredes Reefs
Caladas Falsas
Nova Viçosa Reef
Paredes Reefs
Abrolhos Channel
Paredes Reefs

Number of species
21
19
17
15
12
12
11
10
9
8

Table 2. Geographic subunits and corresponding RAP sites.

Subunit
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

Location
Coroa Vermelha
Popa Verde
Abrolhos Channel
Abrolhos Island
Paredes Reef
Timbebas
Itacolomis

RAP Sites
1, 6, 223, 4, 526, 29, 35
30, 31, 33, 34
19, 23, 44, 45
38, 39, 40, 41
11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18

For spatial analysis, data from some sites located close
to each other were clustered, a priori, into 7 geographicalsubunits, listed in Table 2. The richest subunits were E (37spp.) and A (31 spp.) at Paredes and Coroa Vermelha Reefs,
respectively. The outer part of Paredes is under the strong
inﬂuence of the Brazilian Current, which attains its highest
velocity along the Brazilian coast (Arz 1996) and probably
does not contribute to deposition of terrigenous sediments.
Thus, bottoms are composed mainly of carbonatic sediments originating from reef erosion (Theilen and Figueiredo
1996). Coroa Vermelha, located in the southern part of thesurveyed area, is also one of the most coastal of the Abrolhos
reefs. Subunits C and F, both located in a Marine Protected
Area (Abrolhos Marine National Park) contained relatively
few species (19 spp. each). Of the ﬁve richest sites, four werecomposed of bottoms with dense banks of seagrass (Halophyla sp.), indicating that these soft-bottom environments
provide a great variety of micro-habitats that function as
shelter for soft-bottom faunas (Edgar 1990).
Eighteen of the species recorded from the Abrolhos Bankprior to this survey were not found during this expedition(Table 3), as they are mainly associated with hard bottoms. A
zoogeographic analysis of Abrolhos polychaetes is presented

Soft-bottom polychaetes of the Abrolhos Bank

Table 3. Species previously recorded from the Abrolhos Bank but not found during
the RAP survey.

Arabella iricolor (Montagu, 1804)
Chaetosyllis sp.
Cirratulus cf. africanus Gravier, 1906
Eunice cariboea Grube, 1856
Eunice ﬁlamentosa Grube, 1856
Eunice fucata Ehlers, 1887
Haplosyllis spongicola (Grube, 1855)
Harmothoe ernesti Augener, 1931
Hydroides parvus (Treadwell, 1901)
Hypsicomus elegans (Webster, 1884)
Notomastus latericeus Sars, 1851
Oenone fulgida Savigny, 1818
Pista cristata (Müller, 1776)
Platynereis magalhaensis Kinberg, 1866
Polyophthalmus pictus (Dujardin, 1879)
Typosyllis armillaris (Müller, 1776)
Typosyllis hyalina (Grube, 1863)
Typosyllis variegata (Grube, 1860)

Table 4. Zoogeographic analysis of Abrolhos polychaetes.

Distribution
Cosmopolitan
Tropical Western Atlantic
Eastern & Western Atlantic
CircumtropicalAtlantic & Paciﬁc American coasts
Caribbean & Northwestern Atlantic
Southwestern Atlantic
Paulista Sub-province
PaciﬁcPercent of species
24 %
19 %
16 %
12 %
11 %
9%
4%
3%
2%

in Table 4. Each category in this table is mutually exclusive(i.e., each species can occur in only one category).
DISCUSSION

The number of new species occurrences for the Bank (86)is extremely high, but many of these species already wererecorded from southern and northern areas of the Bank, andtherefore were expected to occur in the general survey area.
Some species, such as Sigambra grubei, Aglaophamus juvenalis, Ninoe brasiliensis, Magelona posterolongata and Magelona
variolamellata, were known only from southern Brazil, southof Cabo Frio, an area that forms the boundary between twobiogeographical sub-provinces (Paulista and Caribbean,
sensu Palácio 1982). Some species were known only fromtheir original descriptions. For example, Neopseudocapitellabrasiliensis was described as a new genus and species fromonly three specimens from the northern coast of Bahia. During the present survey, 19 specimens were collected, mainly
at the southernmost RAP Sites (1, 6, 21, 27). The known
distribution of Scoloplos agrestis, described from the coast of
Sergipe State, similarly was extended southward. This species
was found scattered throughout the RAP survey area. Palolabrasiliensis, recently described from southern Brazil, also had
its geographical distribution extended to the Abrolhos Bank.
Spirobranchus giganteus and Eurythoe complanata, despite
being typical of hard-bottom environments, were found insome soft-bottom samples. Their likely origin is nearby reefs
that deposited them in the sediment through erosion. Several
samples identiﬁed only to the generic level, as well as several
species identiﬁcatied provisionally, are likely to represent
new taxa. Species in this category include Pista sp., Amaena
cf. acraensis, Prionospio cf. steenstrupi, Cheatozone sp. andTherochaeta sp.
A swarming event of the nereidid Platynereis dumerilii(Audouin and Milne-Edwards, 1833) was recorded during
a night dive on February 23, at Siriba Island (RAP Site 31).
This event is linked to the phenomenon known as epitoky, inwhich benthic adults transform to gamete-carrying individuals capable of swimming upward through the water column.
This behavior insures synchronization of mass spawning activity. Masses of swimming specimens of Platynereis dumerilii
have been recorded during summer months in several places,
normally showing lunar periodicity and swarming during thedark phase of the moon (Pettibone 1963). In the Abrolhos
Archipelago, this event was recorded at least 7 times in allseasons (January, February, March, August, September andDecember) but at diﬀerent intensities depending on the
lunar phase. This species was not included as part of the
RAP inventory (Appendix 1) because it does not occur on
soft-bottoms. It is usually found in rocky crevices or among
algae, sponges, ascidians and corals.
The high number of rare species (i.e., those that occurredin only one or two sites) and analysis of a species-samplingeﬀort curve indicate that a greater sampling eﬀort would
be necessary to obtain an accurate estimation of polychaete
diversity of the Bank. Nevertheless, despite this limited collecting eﬀort, the number of species known from the Abrolhos Bank has increased from 22 to 108. The richest sites
were located mainly in areas that are inﬂuenced by humanactivities (see Leão 1995), such as Coroa Vermelha, Paredes
and Itacolomis Reefs. The input of terrigenous sediment due
to coastal erosion and deforestation can change community
composition, as many polychaetes show a high preference
for speciﬁc sediment types (Alongi and Christoﬀersen 1992).
Furthermore, these same sites are situated near coastal cities
exposed to increasing ﬁshing pressure. This is a likely sourceof disturbance to benthic communities, particularly whenshrimp-dredging gear is used (Engel and Kvitek 1998).

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Chapter 7

REFERENCES

Alongi, D. M. 1990. The ecology of tropical soft-bottom
benthic ecosystems. Oceanography Marine Biology
Annual Review 28: 381–496.
Alongi, D.M. and Christoﬀersen, P. 1992. Benthic infauna
and organism-sediment relations in a shallow tropicalcoastal area: inﬂuence of outwelled mangrove detritus
and physical disturbance. Marine Ecology Progress Series
81:229–245.
Arz, H. W. 1996. Paleoceanographic reconstruction of theBrazil Current and North Brazil Current. In: Ekau, W.
and B. Knoppers (eds.). Sedimentation processes andproductivity in the continental shelf waters oﬀ East andNortheast Brazil. Bremen: Center of Tropical Marine
Ecology. Pp.128–134.
Augener, H. 1931. Die Bodensässigen Polychaeten nebst
einer Hirudinee der Meteor-Fahrt. Mitteilungen aus dem
Zoologischen Institut und Zoologischen Museum derUniversität Hamburg 44: 279–313.
Beesley, P. L., G. J. B. Ross, and C. J. Glasby (eds). 2000.
Polychaetes and allies: The southern synthesis. Fauna ofAustralia. Vol. 4A. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing.
Castro, C. B. 1994. Corais do sul da Bahia. In: Hetzel, B.
and C.B Castro (eds.). Corais do sul da Bahia. Rio deJaneiro: Editora Nova Fronteira. pp. 161–176.
Edgar, G. J. 1990. The inﬂuence of plant structure on thespecies richness, biomass and secondary productionof macrofauna assemblages associated with Western
Australian seagrass beds. Journal of Experimental Marine
Biology and Ecology 137: 215–240.
Engel, J. and R. Kvitek. 1998. Eﬀects of otter trawling on abenthic community in Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary.
Conservation Biology 12(6): 1204–1214.
Fauchald, K. 1997. The polychaete worms. Deﬁnition andkeys to the orders, families and genera. Los Angeles:
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Series 28.
Hutchings, P. A. 1981. Polychaete recruitment onto deadcoral substrates at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Bulletin of Marine Science 31(2): 410–423.
Lana, P. C. 1996. O bentos da costa brasileira: Avaliação
crítica e levantamento bibliográﬁco (1858–1996). Rio deJaneiro: Fundação de Estudos do Mar (FEMAR).
Leão, Z. M. A. N. 1995. Present status of the coral reefsof Bahia and the major environmental impacts. In:
Scientiﬁc Meeting, Loicz (Land/Ocean Interaction in the
Coastal Zone). Abstracts, São Paulo. Pp. 40–42.
Palácio, F. J. 1982. Revision zoogeográﬁca marina del sur delBrasil. Boletim do Instituto Oceanograﬁco, Sao Paulo31(1): 69–92.
Pettibone, M. H. 1963. Marine Polychaeta worms of the
New England Region. 1. Families Aphroditidae throughTrochochaetidae. United States National Museum Bulletin 227: 1–356.

90

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Rullier, F. and L. Amoureux. 1979. Annélides polychètes.
Annales de l’Institut Oceanographique 55: 145–206.
Theilen, F. and A. Figueiredo. 1996. Near surface sedimentary features of the Abrolhos Bank. In: Ekau, W. and B.
Knoppers (eds.). Sedimentation processes and productivity in the continental shelf Waters oﬀ East and Northeast
Brazil. Bremen: Center of Tropical Marine Ecology. Pp.
116–122.

Chapter 8
Crustacea of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil
Paulo S. Young and Cristiana S. Serejo

SUMMARY•

Soft bottom samples from the RAP survey contained a total of at least 53 species ofcrustaceans. The total crustacean fauna of the Abrolhos Bank, based on past and current
records, presently numbers 535 species.

•

The present survey added 14 new species records for the Abrolhos Bank, and 10 for Brazil.

•

The Abrolhos region has the most diverse crustacean fauna in Brazil, but endemism isrelatively low, both for Abrolhos (1.3%) and for Brazil (6.6%). Further sampling eﬀort forsmall crustaceans will probably reveal more endemic species, as this segment of the fauna
has been inadequately studied along the northeastern coast of Brazil.

•

The inner reef arc was the most diverse region for crustaceans, with a mean of 7.7 species
per sample (range 1–19). Timbebas was the single richest reef, followed by Coroa Vermelha and Lixa Reef. The Abrolhos Archipelago was the poorest area for crustaceans.

•

Although large reef-dwelling crustaceans are relatively well known in Abrolhos, there
is inadequate knowledge of small species living on soft bottoms, particularly copepods,
ostracods and peracarids.

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this report is to present an inventory of all crustaceans thus far recorded fromthe Abrolhos region and to analyze the crustacean fauna taken in bottom samples during the
RAP survey. The present state of knowledge of the Crustacea of the Abrolhos region is discussed, with special emphasis on endemism.
Before the RAP survey, 511 species of crustaceans were recorded from the Abrolhos Bank.
This list gives greater treatment to the larger free-living reef species that are much better known
than the smaller species, or those associated with sand-mud bottoms and other invertebrates.
Table 1 presents a general summary of the species reported to date.
The best-known groups are the large Malacostraca, especially crabs (Brachyura) and shrimps(Dendrobranchiata and Caridea). Lobsters (Palinuridea) also are well documented. In contrast,
there is relatively poor knowledge of small crustaceans that include Copepoda, Harpacticoida,
Cyclopoida, and Peracarida. A complete checklist of the crustaceans recorded to date from theAbrolhos region, including both benthic and planktonic species, is presented in Appendix 1.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

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Chapter 8

ENDEMISM IN THE ABROLHOS REGION
Table 1. Summary of previously recorded taxa from the Abrolhos region.

Class
Branchiopoda
Copepoda

Cirripedia
Malacostraca

Order
Calanoida
Cyclopoida
Poecilostomatoida
Siphonostomatoida
Hoplocarida
Euphausiacea
Dendrobranchiata
Stenopodidea
Caridea
Thalassinidea
Palinuridea
Porcellanidae
Hippoidea
Paguroidea
Brachyura
Mysidacea
Tanaidacea
Amphipoda
IsopodaNo. Spp.
2
84
8
28
7
30
19
13
14
2
34
10
4
15
5
20
169
2
8
24
13

Along the Brazilian coast, about 2,000 species of crustaceans
already have been recorded, and the Abrolhos Bank supports
its most diverse crustacean fauna. Most species found in
Abrolhos are also recorded from other parts of the Atlantic(60.5%), many are cosmopolitan (21.3%), some occur inboth the Atlantic and Paciﬁc Oceans (10.5%), and a few are
distributed in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (1%).
Seven (1.3%) of the total 511 species listed from Abrolhos
are endemic to this region. These include three siphonostomatoid copepods (Asterocheris abrolhensis, A. spinopaulus, andA. tetrasetosus), two tanaids (Parapagurapseudopsis carinata
and Parapseudes inermis), one amphipod (Leucothoe basilobata), and one isopod (Excorallana angusta). All the endemic
species are small, measuring less than 5 mm in length. Further sampling eﬀort for small crustaceans will probably reveal
more endemic species, as this segment of the fauna has been
inadequately studied along the northeastern coast of Brazil.
Soft bottom sampling during the RAP

Bottom samples were obtained at 41 localities and sorted
for polychaetes, molluscs and crustaceans (also see Absalão
this volume and Paiva this volume). A total of at least 53 taxa
of crustaceans were identiﬁed to various taxonomic levels(Table 2), depending on available expertise. Some species
could not be identiﬁed and are possibly undescribed. The

Table 2. List of species sampled from soft bottoms during the RAP survey. An asterisk (*) indicates a new record for the Abrolhos region and a double asterisk (**) denotes a
new record for Brazil.

TAXA

RAP Sites

Number of individuals

4,14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 33

24

38

1

30

1

20

1

2

1

38

1

Class Ostracoda
Subclass Podocopa
Unidentiﬁed genus and species
Subclass Myodocopa
Unidentiﬁed genus and species
Class Malacostraca
Subclass Phyllocarida
Paranebalia sp.**
Subclass Hoplocarida
Order Stomatopoda
Unidentiﬁed species
Subclass Eucarida
Order Decapoda
Family Palaemonidae
Palaemonella sp.**
Family Processidae
Processa sp.

continued

92

Rapid Assessment ProgramCrustacea of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

TAXA

RAP Sites

Number of individuals

Family Alpheidae
Alpheus armillatus H. Milne-Edwards, 183736

2Alpheus heterochaelis Say, 1818*

38, 34, 4

6

Alpheus normanni Kingsley, 1878

2, 38

4

Synalpheus townsendi Coutière, 1909

38

5

38

1

30

1

2

2

2, 31, 36, 38

24

4

1

17

3

30, 382

17

1

3, 4, 20

1

18

1

Ampelisca paria Barnard & Agard, 1986*

38

2

Ampelisca cristata Holmes, 1908

4, 12

2

Ampelisca romigi Barnard, 1954 *20

1

Ampelisca sp.

4

1

Ampithoe ramondi Audoin, 1826*36, 383

Cymadusa ﬁlosa Savigny, 1816*

2, 40

2

12

1

33

5

33, 386

38

1

Family Stenopodidae
Stenopus hispidus Olivier, 1811
Family Calianassidae
Lepidophthalmus siriboia Felder & Rodrigues, 1993
Family Upogebiidae
Pomatogebia operculata Schmitt, 1924
Family Goneplacidae
Chasmocarcinus peresi Rodrigues da Costa, 1968
Family Leucosiidae
Ebalia stimpsoni A. Milne-Edwards, 1880
Family Majidae
Acanthonyx dissimulatus Coelho, 1993
Mithraculus forceps A. Milne Edwards, 1875
Michrophrys antillensis Rathbun, 1920
Family Pinnotheridae
Dissodactylus crinitichelis Moreira, 1901
Family Xanthidae
Hexapanopeus sp.
Subclass Peracarida
Order Amphipoda
Suborder Gammaridea
Family Ampeliscidae

Family Ampithoidae

Family Aoridae
Bemlos sp.*
Family Corophyidae
Chevalia sp.
Family Gammaridae
Gamarella sp.**
Family Ischyroceridae
Erichtonius brasiliensis (Dana, 1853)*
Family Leucothoidae

continued

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

93

Chapter 8

TAXA

RAP Sites

Number of individuals

34

1

4, 12, 20, 22, 30, 36 38

1234, 38

3

36

1

2

1

2

2

Metharpinia sp.*1

1

Birubius sp.**34

4

30, 348

20, 22

2

2, 31

2

9, 19, 20

5

18

2

12, 36

2

2

1

38

2

20, 382

38

1

Leucothoe spinicarpa (Abilgaard, 1789)
Family Lysianassidae
Lysianopsis hummelincki Stephensen, 1933**
Lysianopsis sp.**
Orchomenella magdalenensis Shoemaker, 1942**
Family Melitidae
Ceradocus sp.*
Family Phlianthidae
Paraphinotus seclusus (Shoemaker, 1933)
Family Phoxocephalidae

Phoxocephalus sp.*
Family Platyschnopidae
Tiburonella viscana (Barnard, 1964)*
Family Synopiidae
Synopia ultramarina Dana, 1853*
Suborder Caprellidea
Family Protellidae
Metaprotella sp.**
Family Phtisicidae
Phtisica marina Slaber, 1769*
Order Isopoda
Suborder Valvifera
Family Arcturidae
Astacilla sp.**
Suborder Flabellifera
Family Corallanidae
Excorallana sp.
Family Cirolanidae
Cirolana sp.
Family Spheromatidae
Cymadoce sp.
Suborder Anthuridea
Family Paranthuridae
Accalathura sp.**
Family Anthuridae
Anthuridae sp.
Mesanthura excelsa Pires, 1981*

30

1

12, 18, 30

5

1, 4

7

2, 12, 18, 20, 33, 36

9

2, 18, 33, 34, 36

6Suborder Asellota
Unidentiﬁed genus and species
Order Tanaidacea
Unidentiﬁed genus and species
Order Cumacea
Unidentiﬁed genus and species

94

Rapid Assessment ProgramCrustacea of the Abrolhos Region, Brazil

Table 3. Number of species recorded from each RAP Site.

Areas/ RAP Sites
Inner reef arc
RAP Site 1
RAP Sites 2, 6
RAP Site 22
RAP Site 36
RAP Sites 38, 39, 40
RAP Sites 20, 21, 23, 24, 45, 37
RAP Site 9
Abrolhos Archipelago
RAP Site 32
RAP Site 33
Outer reef arc
RAP Site 34
RAP Site 30
RAP Site 31
RAP Site 33
RAP Sites 27, 28
RAP Site 23
Other places
RAP Site 5
RAP Site 12
RAP Site 16
RAP Site 11
RAP Site 13

Number of species
2
11
2
11
19
8
1
0
0

diverse area for crustaceans with a mean of 7.7 species per
sample (range 1–19). Timbebas was the richest reef, followed
by Coroa Vermelha and Lixa. Itacolomis and Popa Verde(listed under “Other places”) were also relatively rich.
Species diversity was variable on the outer reefs and some
soft bottom samples did not reveal any crustaceans (RAP
Sites 27 and 28), while others had a relatively high number(Parcel dos Abrolhos mean = 3.2 species per site, range 0–9).
The Abrolhos Archipelago, characterized by sandy bottoms,
was the poorest area for crustaceans. Except for the Timbebas Reefs, most of the reefs with a relatively rich crustaceanbottom fauna are from areas outside the Abrolhos National
Park.
RECOMMENDATIONS

9
3
2
5
0
0
9
6
8
0
0

following taxa were not identiﬁed to the species level due tothe lack of taxonomic expertise: Ostracoda, Stomatopoda,
Tanaidacea, Cumacea and Isopoda Asellota.
There were no new records for the well-known groups.
However, several new records were reported for species
belonging to poorly studied groups. Of the 23 species of amphipods, at least 18 are new records for the Abrolhos region,
6 of these being new for Brazil. Among the Isopods there
were three new records for Abrolhos, of which two are newrecords for Brazil. In contrast, for the Decapoda there wasonly one new record for Abrolhos, which is also a new recordfor Brazil, out of a total of 14 identiﬁed species. Certainly,
a more detailed study of the unidentiﬁed groups will resultin additional new records for the region. If only macrocrustaceans are examined, the overall diversity of crustaceansfrom soft sediments tends to be underestimated. The smaller
crustaceans, particularly copepods, are more diverse andabundant in soft bottoms and, when properly studied, tend
to present high species richness, as is the case for polychaetes
and mollusks (see Absalão this volume and Paiva this volume).
Table 3 presents the number of species recorded for eachsampled locality as arranged into four main groups: 1) Inner(coastal) reef arc; 2) Abrolhos Archipelago; 3) Outer reefarc; and 4) Other places. The coastal reef arc was the most

The main recommendations from this study of the crustacean fauna of the Abrolhos region are as follows:•

Promote further study of the crustaceans of the Abrolhos Bank, especially the poorly known groups including
copepods, ostracods and, peracarids;•

Analyze the distribution and habitats of crustacean species within the Abrolhos region and, if necessary, expand
the National Park boundaries to conserve maximum
species richness; and•Select indicative species that may show changes in densities when a coral reef undergoes modiﬁcation from its
natural condition.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

95

Appendix 1
Reef anthozoan and hydrocoral taxa
recorded for the Abrolhos area.

Legends: * = Previously recorded in the Abrolhos Bank, but not observed during the RAP survey;# = Collected during the RAP survey/deposited in the Cnidaria Collection, Museu Nacional, UFRJ.
Class

Order

FamilySpecies

HYDROZOA

Capitata

Milleporidae

Millepora alcicornis #Millepora braziliensis
Millepora nitida #Anthozoa

Filifera

Stylasteridae

Stylaster roseus #Alcyonacea

Clavulariidae

Carijoa riisei

Gorgoniidae

Phyllogorgia dilatata
Lophogorgia punicea #Olindagorgia gracilis #Pleuxaridae (including Paramuriceidae)

Heterogorgia uatumani *Muricea ﬂamma #Muriceopsis sulphurea #Plexaurella grandiﬂora #Plexaurella regia

Ellisellidae

Ellisella sp. *Chrysogorgiidae

Stephanogorgia sp
Trichogorgia sp. #Scleractinia

Nephtheidae

Neospongodes atlantica #Astrocoeniidae

Stephanocoenia intersepta

Pocilloporidae

Madracis decactis #Agariciidae

Agaricia humilis
Agaricia fragilis

Siderastreidae

Siderastrea stellata #Poritidae

Porites astreoides
Porites branneri #Faviidae

Favia gravida #Favia leptophylla #96

Rapid Assessment ProgramDistribution and Diversity of Coral
Communities in the Abrolhos Reef Complex, Brazil

Class

Order

FamilySpeciesMontastrea cavernosa #Rhizangiidae

Astrangia solitaria #MussidaeMussismilia braziliensis
Mussismilia harttii #Mussismilia hispida #Scolymia wellsi #Meandrinidae

Meandrina braziliensis #Caryophylliidae

Phyllangia americana #Rhizosmilia maculata #Corallimorpharia

Dendrophylliidae

Rhizopsammia goesi #Discosomatidae

Discosoma carlgreni #Discosoma sanctithomae

Actiniaria

Aliciidae

Alicia mirabilis *Lebrunia coralligens
Lebrunia danae

Homostichanthidae

Homostichanthus duerdeni

Aiptasiidae

Aiptasia pallida

Sagartiidae

Telmatactis roseni *Telmatactis rufa *Bellactis ilkalyseae

Hormathiidae

Calliactis tricolor *Actiniidae

Anemonia sargassensis *Condylactis gigantea
Phyllactis ﬂosculifera *Zoanthidea

Zoanthidae

Palythoa caribaeorum #Palythoa sp. #Parazoanthus sp. #Zoanthus sociatus *1

Antipatharia

Antipathidae

Tanacetipathes barbadensis #Cirripathidae

Cirrhipathes secchini

Antipathes sp. (fan)#

Ceriantharia

Two unidentiﬁed species (recorded on soft
bottom) #(Footnotes)
Four species of Zoanthus were previously reported for Brazil (Rohlfs-de-Macedo, 1986), all occurring in Espírito Santo State (a few hundred
kilometers south from Abrolhos). Although most colonies probably belong to Z. sociatus, in the analyses we presented the species of this genus
were identiﬁed as Zoanthus spp. This is due to the high probability of occurrence of other species, the uncertainty of ﬁeld identiﬁcation, and lackof taxonomists working with the group.
1

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

97

Appendix 2
Checklist of reef and shore ﬁsh species
recorded from the Abrolhos region
Rodrigo L. Moura, Ronaldo B. Francini-Filho,
Ivan Sazima, Carlos H. Flesh, Gerald R. Allen
and Carlos E. L. Ferreira

SL = standard length; TL = total length; DW = disk width (all sensu Hubbs and Lagler 1974).
Ginglymostomatidae – carpet sharks
Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Common name: nurse shark.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: several underwater sightings.
RAP site records: 27 and 28.
Carcharhinidae – requiem sharks
Carcharhinus acronotus (Poey, 1861)
Common name: blacknose shark.
Habitat: estuaries mouths and adjacent coastal reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 61151 (1), head only.
Carcharhinus perezi (Poey, 1876)
Common name: reef shark.
Habitat: areas adjacent to reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60784 (1), 897.0mm TL.
Galeocerdo cuvier (Peron & LeSueur, 1822)
Common name: tiger shark.
Habitat: estuaries, beaches, coralline reefs and seagrass beds.
Record basis: ZUEC 4578 (1), three teeth plus one photograph; one sighting within the Marine Park.
Negaprion brevirostris (Poey, 1868)
Common name: lemon shark.
Habitat: areas adjacent to reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 53076 (1), 670.4mm SL.
Rhizoprionodon porosus (Poey, 1861)
Common name: sharpnose shark.
Habitat: estuaries mouths, rivers, beaches, coralline reefs and seagrass beds.
Material examined: MZUSP 60555 (4), 352-385mm SL.
Narcinidae – electric rays
Narcine brasiliensis (Olfers, 1831)
Common name: lesser electric ray.
Habitat: sandy bottoms, often near coralline and rocky reefs or seagrass beds.
Material examined: MZUSP 52987 (3), 93.4-108.1mm TL.

98

Rapid Assessment ProgramChecklist of reef and shore ﬁsh species
recorded from the Abrolhos region

Dasyatidae - stingrays
Dasyatis americana Hildebrand & Schroeder, 1928
Common name: southern stingray.
Habitat: sandy bottoms, often near coralline and rocky reefs or seagrass beds.
Record basis: several underwater sightings, most on Abrolhos and Paredes Reef.
RAP site records: 8 and 41.
Dasyatis centroura (Mitchill, 1815)
Common name: roughtail stingray.
Habitat: poorly known. We observed it on a sandy bottom area near the reef.
Record basis: underwater sightings and photographs taken in the Abrolhos Reef area.
Dasyatis guttata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Habitat: muddy and sandy bottoms near the coast and estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61337 (4), 151.0-204.0mm DW.
Dasyatis marianae Gomes, Gadig & Rosa 2000
Habitat: sand and rubble areas near coral and rocky bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 52885 (1), 217mm DW.
Remarks: endemic to the tropical Southwestern Atlantic.
Myliobatidae – eagle rays
Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790)
Common name: spotted eagle ray.
Habitat: coastal areas, often associated with hard bottoms.
Record basis: several underwater sightings along the studied area.
Muraenidae – morays
Gymnothorax funebris Ranzani, 1840
Common name: green moray.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52988 (2) 213-336mm TL.
RAP site records: 1, 19, 28, and 43.
Gymnothorax moringa (Cuvier, 1829)
Common name: spotted moray.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60741 (1), 606mm TL; MZUSP 60742 (1), 265mm TL; MZUSP 60802 (2), 249-443mm TL; MZUSP 60559(2), 181-226mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 13, 17, 19, 24, and 43.
Gymnothorax ocellatus Agassiz, 1831
Common name: ocellated moray.
Habitat: soft bottoms, from estuaries mouths to areas adjacent to reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60893 (1), 340mm TL.
Gymnothorax vicinus (Castelnau, 1855)
Common name: purplemouth moray.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60697 (1), 571mm TL; MZUSP 60807 (1), 361mm TL.
RAP site records: 28 and 41.
Albulidae – boneﬁshes
Albula vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: boneﬁsh.
Habitat: sandy and muddy bottoms on coastal areas.
Record basis: one specimen observed on ﬁsheries landing; not collected.
Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

99

Appendix 2

Ophichthidae – snake eels
Ahlia egmontis (Jordan,1884)
Common name: key worm eel.
Habitat: soft bottoms, intertidal and subtidal, from estuaries to near coral reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60820 (2), 111-145mm TL.
Myrichthys breviceps (Richardson, 1848)
Common name: sharptail eel.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52998 (1), length not taken.
Myrichthys ocellatus (LeSueur, 1825)
Common name: goldspotted eel.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60733 (1), 610mm TL.
RAP site record: 43.
Myrophis punctatus Lütken, 1851
Common name: speckled worm eel.
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, often found in brackish water and tidal creeks.
Material examined: MZUSP 60799 (8), 74-190mm SL.
Myrophis platyrhynchus Breder, 1927
Habitat: coastal sandy beaches, seaweed beds, tidepools, from the shore to at least 220m depth.
Material examined: MZUSP 60821 (1), 200mm TL.
Remarks: the present record represents a range extension, since this species was previously known south to Itaparica Island, Bahia.
Ophichthus cylindroideus (Ranzani, 1839)
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 60894 (1), 392mm SL.
Ophichthus ophis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: spotted snake eel.
Habitat: coastal sandy bottoms, often found near reefs.
Record basis: underwater sighting in the Archipelago area.
Muraenesocidae
Cynoponticus savanna (Bancroft, 1831)
Common name: sapphire eel.
Habitat: hard and soft bottoms, from estuaries to near coral reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 61150 (1), 1268mm TL.
Congridae
Conger triporiceps Kanazawa, 1958
Habitat: coastal sandy bottoms, often near reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52709 (1), 135mm TL.
Heteroconger longissimus Günther, 1870
Common name: garden eel.
Habitat: sandy areas adjacent to hard bottom formations.
Record basis: underwater sighting in the Archipelago area.
Clupeidae - herrings
Chirocentrodon bleekerianus (Poey, 1867)
Common name: dogtooth herring.

100

Rapid Assessment ProgramChecklist of reef and shore ﬁsh species
recorded from the Abrolhos region

Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, common near beaches and estuaries mouths.
Material examined: MZUSP 61315 (2), 73.5-82.9mm SL.
Harengula jaguana Poey, 1865
Common name: scaled sardine.
Habitat: coastal and estuarine areas, also frequently observed near coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52882 (5), 80.5-107.3mm SL.
Odontognathus mucronathus Lacépède, 1800
Common name: Guiana longﬁn herring.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, common near beaches and estuary mouths.
Material examined: MZUSP 61314 (6), 123.6-142.3mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Opisthonema oglinum (Lesueur, 1818)
Common name: Atlantic thread herring.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, common near beaches and estuary mouths.
Material examined: MZUSP 61311 (1), 111.3mm SL.
Pellona harroweri (Fowler, 1917)
Common name: American coastal pellona.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, common near beaches and estuary mouths.
Material examined: MZUSP 60886 (1), 84.1mm SL; MZUSP 61312 (4), 93.7-11.3mm SL.
Engraulidae - anchovies
Anchoa spinifer (Valenciennes, 1848)
Common name: spicule anchovy.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, common near beaches and estuary mouths.
Material examined: MZUSP 60883 (1), 103.0mm SL; MZUSP 61320 (5), 98.2-174.8mm SL.
Anchovia clupeoides (Swainson, 1839)
Common name: zabaleta anchovy.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, most abundant in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 60907 (1), 135.1mm SL.
Cetengraulis edentulus (Cuvier, 1828)
Common name: anchoveta.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, common near beaches and estuary mouths.
Material examined: MZUSP 61318 (3), 119.1-119.9mm SL.
Lycengraulis grossidens (Agassiz, 1829)
Common name: Atlantic sabretooth herring.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, common in estuaries; often penetrates up rivers.
Material examined: MZUSP 60882 (1), 104.4mm SL; MZUSP 60906 (1), 164.2mm SL; MZUSP 61319 (5), 105.2-181.6mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Ariidae – sea catﬁshes
Arius grandicassis Valenciennes, 1840
Habitat: coastal muddy bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 60889 (1), 162.5mm SL; MZUSP 61341 (1), 121.6mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Bagre bagre (Linnaeus, 1766)
Habitat: coastal muddy bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 60888 (1), 154.2mm SL; MZUSP 61339 (10), 104.5-177.1mm SL.
Bagre marinus (Mitchill, 1814)
Common name: gaﬀtopsail catﬁsh.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil101

Appendix 2

Habitat: coastal muddy bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 61338 (2), 72.8-78mm SL.
Cathorops spixii (Agassiz, 1829)
Habitat: coastal muddy bottoms, often penetrating up rivers.
Material examined: MZUSP 60878 (1), 167.4mm SL; MZUSP 61340 (2), 87.2-94.5mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Sciadeichthys luniscutis (Valenciennes, 1840)
Habitat: coastal muddy bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 61342 (3), 126.3-131.3mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Synodontidae - lizardﬁshes
Synodus foetens (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common name: inshore lizardﬁsh.
Habitat: sandy and hard bottoms; sometimes common on reefs.
Record basis: a single underwater sighting in the Archipelago area. Roux (1973) also refers to the inshore lizardﬁsh in Abrolhos (station 88).
Synodus intermedius (Spix, 1829)
Common name: sand diver.
Habitat: sandy and hard bottoms; sometimes common on reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52828 (1), 126.5mm SL; MZUSP 52870 (1), 69.1mm SL; MZUSP 60502
60547 (2), 63.0-156.2mm SL; MZUSP 60793(1), 52.8mm SL.
RAP site records: 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 23, 34, 36, 38, 42, and 43.

(1), 95.7mm SL; MZUSP

Trachinocephalus myops (Forster, 1801)
Common name: snakeﬁsh.
Habitat: sandy bottoms, rarely near reefs.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Ophidiidae – cusk-eels
Ophidion holbrooki (Putnam, 1874)
Common name: bank cusk-eel.
Habitat: deep soft bottoms.
Record basis: The record by Roux (1973) of Genypterus blacodes in Abrolhos might refer to O. holbrooki. Genypterus blacodes occurs only insouthern South America and Ophidion holbrooki is the only cusk-eel that occurs in the shallow tropical portion of Southwestern Atlantic.
Bythitidae – viviparous brotulas
Ogilbia new species
Habitat: dark crevices on coastal coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60765 (1), 54.6mm SL; MZUSP 60855 (1), 44.3mm SL; MZUSP 52712 (1), 40.1mm SL.
Remarks: apparently endemic to the Abrolhos region.
RAP site record: 39.
Batrachoididae - toadﬁshes
Thalassophryne punctata Steindachner, 1876
Habitat: coastal areas, on hard and soft bottoms, intertidal and subtidal.
Material examined: MZUSP 36260 (1), 45mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the tropical Southwestern Atlantic.

102

Rapid Assessment ProgramChecklist of reef and shore ﬁsh species
recorded from the Abrolhos region

Antenariidae - frogﬁshes
Antennarius multiocellatus (Valenciennes, 1837)
Common name: longlure frogﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore hard bottoms, frequently on reefs.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Ogcocephalidae - batﬁshes
Ogcocephalus notatus (Valenciennes, 1837)
Habitat: coastal muddy bottoms.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Ogcocephalus vespertilio (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: longnose batﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal areas, on hard and soft bottoms, frequently on reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52999 (1), 128.3mm SL; MZUSP 52889 (1), 138.6mm SL; MZUSP 60491 (1), 229mm SL; MZUSP 61141(2), 43.8-102.8mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the tropical Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 14, 19 and 38.

Mugilidae - mullets
Mugil curema Valenciennes, 1836
Common name: white mullet.
Habitat: sandy and muddy bottoms, sometimes near reefs and in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 52278 (9), 32.9-44.7mm SL.
Mugil liza Valenciennes, 1836
Common name: liza.
Habitat: sandy and muddy bottoms, sometimes near reefs and in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 60505 (15), 28.2-54.7mm SL.
Mugil trichodon Poey, 1875
Common name: fantail mullet.
Habitat: coastal muddy bottoms and estuaries.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Belonidae – needleﬁshes
Tylosurus acus (Lacépède, 1803)
Common name: agujon.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore open areas, sometimes near reefs, rare in estuaries.
Record basis: Underwater sighting on the Archipelago area.
Exocoetidae – ﬂyingﬁshes
Unidentiﬁed species often seen from the boat
(probably more than one species)
Hemirhamphidae – halfbeaks
Hemirhamphus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: ballyhoo.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore areas; very abundant in the Archipelago area.
Material examined: MZUSP 52887 (2), 185.6-214.5mm SL; MZUSP 60783 (1), 173.2mm SL.
Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

103

Appendix 2

Hyporhamphus unifasciatus (Ranzani, 1842)
Common name: halfbeak.
Habitat: coastal areas, sometimes in estuaries, but also common in saline habitats.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Poecilidae – livebearers
Poecilia sp.
Habitat: estuarine areas with strong freshwater inﬂuence.
Material examined: MZUSP 60775 (1), 25.1mm SL.
Holocentridae – squirrelﬁshes
Holocentrus ascensionis (Osbeck, 1771)
Common name: squirrelﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60873 (4), 59.2-66.3mm SL; MZUSP 53019
MZUSP 60823(2), 61.3-72.6mm SL; MZUSP 60853 (1), 118.5mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3-5, 7-9, 11-21, 23-26, 28, 29, 31, 33-37, 40, 41, and 43.

(2), 53.1-58.0mm SL; MZUSP 60789 (1), 59.1mm SL;

Myripristis jacobus Cuvier, 1829
Common name: blackbar soldierﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, preferentially in open areas.
Record basis: Underwater sightings at Itacolomis Reefs and Caladas Bank.
RAP site records: 13, 14 and 28.
Syngnathidae – pipeﬁshes and seahorses
Bryx dunckeri (Metzelaar, 1919)
Habitat: poorly known; our specimens came from reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60840 (1), 47.2mm SL; MZUSP 60842 (1), 57.4mm SL.
Cosmocampus albirostris (Kaup, 1856)
Common name: whitenose pipeﬁsh.
Habitat: poorly known.
Record basis: Underwater sightings in the Archipelago area and on Caladas Bank.
RAP site record: 27.
Hippocamus reidi Ginsburg, 1933
Common name: longsnout seahorse.
Habitat: hard bottoms, more frequent in coastal areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 60827 (1), 162.5mm TL; MZUSP 61134 (1), 167.9mm TL.
Micrognathus crinitus (Jenyns, 1842)
Common name: banded pipeﬁsh.
Habitat: poorly known. Our specimens came from reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60732 (1), 97.8mm SL; MZUSP 60737 (1), 56.7mm SL; MZUSP 60864 (1), 20.9mm SL.
Fistulariidae - cornetﬁshes
Fistularia tabacaria Linnaeus, 1758
Common name: bluespotted cornetﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore soft bottom areas, rarely near reefs or estuaries.
Record basis: a single underwater sighting in the Archipelago area.

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Dactylopteridae – ﬂying gurnards
Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: ﬂying gurnard.
Habitat: sand and rubble bottoms, generally near reefs.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Scorpaenidae - scorpionﬁshes
Scorpaena brasiliensis Cuvier, 1829
Common name: barbﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 61159 (1), 43.4mm SL.
Scorpaena dispar Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
Common name: hunchback scorpionﬁsh.
Habitat: soft and hard bottoms, generally bellow 20-30m depth.
Material examined: MZUSP 60866 (1), 51.5mm SL.
Scorpaena grandicornis Cuvier, 1829
Common name: plumed scorpionﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal areas, often in bays and seagrass beds.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Scorpaena isthmensis Meek & Hildebrand, 1928
Common name: smoothcheek scorpionﬁsh.
Habitat: soft and hard bottoms, frequently observed on reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60745 (1), 34.5mm SL; MZUSP 60490 (1), 51.5mm SL.
Scorpaena plumieri Bloch 1789
Common name: spotted scorpionﬁsh.
Habitat: soft and hard bottoms, frequently observed on reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60552 (1), 114.0mm SL; MZUSP 60694 (1), 143.3mm SL; MZUSP 60818 (3), 20.4-88.7mm SL; MZUSP
60857 (1), 73.7mm SL.
RAP site record: 27.
Triglidae - searobins
Prionotus punctatus (Bloch, 1797)
Habitat: coastal sandy, muddy and rubble areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 61142 (2), 57.7-97.7mm SL; MZUSP 61331 (1), 86.3mm SL.
Centropomidae - snooks
Centropomus parallelus Poey 1860
Common name: fat snook.
Habitat: coastal and estuarine areas, frequently in mangrove swamps.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Centropomus mexicanus Bocourt, 1868
Habitat: coastal and estuarine areas.
Record basis: description of Centropomus constantinus Jordan & Starks, from “Bahia”.
Serranidae – sea basses
Alphester afer (Bloch, 1793)
Common name: mutton hamlet.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

105

Appendix 2

Record basis: Nunan (1979), Roux (1973) and one underwater sighting on Caladas Bank.
RAP site records: 27 and 28.
Cephalopholis fulva (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: coney.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, preferentially in open areas.
Record basis: Nunan (1979) recorded it in Timbebas Reefs and we sighted one specimen on Itacolomis Reef and several on Caladas Reef.
RAP site records: 18, 27 and 28.
Dermatolepis inermis (Valenciennes, 1833)
Common name: marbled grouper.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 50035 (1), 336mm SL.
Diplectrum radiale (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Common name: sand perch.
Habitat: soft bottoms, sometimes near reefs or even in estuaries.
Record basis: Roux (1973) and underwater sightings at Abrolhos, Itacolomis and Paredes Reefs.
RAP site records: 24 and 37.
Epinephelus itajara (Lichtenstein, 1822)
Common name: jewﬁsh.
Habitat: from estuaries to coral reefs.
Record basis: several underwater sightings.
Epinephelus morio (Valenciennes, 1828)
Common name: red grouper.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60529 (1), 242mm SL; MZUSP 60752
RAP site records: 3, 6, 19-21, 23, 24, 28, 37, 43 and 45.

(1), 64.5mm SL; MZUSP 60766 (1), 228mm SL.

Epinephelus niveatus (Valenciennes, 1828)
Common name: snowy grouper.
Habitat: soft and hard bottoms, from nearshore to the continental slope.
Record basis: Paiva & Fonteles-Filho (1997) report this species on catches of commercial ﬁsheries in the Abrolhos region.
Mycteroperca acutirostris (Valenciennes, 1828)
Common name: comb grouper.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Mycteroperca bonaci (Poey, 1861)
Common name: black grouper.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52827 (1), 181.6mm SL; MZUSP 60495 (1), 263mm SL; MZUSP 60531 (1), 314mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 4, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 18, 19-21, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33-35 and 42.
Mycteroperca interstitialis (Poey, 1861)
Common name: yellowmouth grouper.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sighting in Parcel dos Abrolhos.
Rypticus randalli Courtenay, 1967
Habitat: sand and muddy bottoms, often in estuaries.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Rypticus saponaceus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Common name: soapﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60528 (1), 194.4mm SL.
RAP site records: 11, 13, 19, 27, 28, 31, 40 and 43.

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Rypticus subbifrenatus Gill, 1861
Common name: spotted soapﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, frequent in intertidal pools.
Material examined: MZUSP 60797 (1), 57.1mm SL.
Serranus baldwini (Evermann & Marsh, 1900)
Common name: lantern bass.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52259 (1), 42.7mm SL; MZUSP 52260 (1), 51.7mm SL; MZUSP 52990 (1), 48.8mm SL; MZUSP 60706 (2),20.2-30.3mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 5, 18, 19, 24, 25, 28, 30 and 42.
Serranus ﬂaviventris (Cuvier, 1829)
Common name: twinspot bass.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60828 (2), 45.7-52.6mm SL; MZUSP 60856 (3), 22.9-46.6mm SL; MZUSP 60872 (1), 28.5mm SL; MZUSP
60875(1), 49.1mm SL; MZUSP 60890 (1), 59.1mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3-9, 11-21, 23-26, 31, 36-38, 40 and 42.
Grammatidae - basslets
Gramma brasiliensis Sazima, Gasparini & Moura, 1998
Common name: Brazilian basslet.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, generally upside down under ledges and crevices.
Material examined: MZUSP 60692 (2), 18.6-48.5mm SL; MZUSP 60764 (1), 19.7mm SL; MZUSP 60791 (2), 14.3-39.9mm SL; MZUSP
60847 (4), 25.4-41.9mm SL; MZUSP 60518 (5), 13.4-37.9mm SL; ZUEC 4435 (5), 34.9-45.0mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3-5, 7-9, 11-21, 23-26, 28-31, 33-36, 38, 40, 42, 43, and 45.
Opistognathidae - jawﬁshes
Opistognathus new species
Habitat: sand and rubble areas near coral reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52271 (2), lengths not taken.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Priacanthidae - bigeyes
Priacanthus arenatus Cuvier, 1829
Common name: bigeye.
Habitat: coastal soft and hard bottoms, often seen on reefs.
Record basis: several underwater sightings.
Apogonidae - cardinalﬁshes
Apogon americanus Castelnau, 1855
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60850 (1), 65mm SL.
RAP site records: 28, 42, and 43.
Apogon planifrons Longley & Hildebrand, 1940
Common name: pale cardinalﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60553 (1), 62.9mm SL; MZUSP 60568 (1), 69.1mm SL.
Astrapogon puncticulatus (Poey, 1867)
Common name: blackﬁn cardinalﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, often associated with algal mats.
Material examined: MZUSP 60554 (2), 30.4-41.0mm SL.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

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Appendix 2

Astrapogon stellatus (Cope, 1867)
Common name: conchﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs. (We did not observe it associated with Strombus.)
Material examined: MZUSP 53020 (3), lengths not taken.
Phaeoptyx pigmentaria (Poey, 1867)
Common name: dusky cardinalﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, more common on open areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 60833 (2), 43.8-51.4mm SL.
RAP site record: 43.
Malacanthidae – tileﬁshes
Lopholatilus villarii Ribeiro, 1915
Habitat: deep hard bottoms of the continental slope.
Record basis: Paiva & Fonteles-Filho (1997) report this species on catches of commercial ﬁsheries from the Abrolhos area.
Remarks: apparently endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Echeneidae - remoras
Echeneis naucrates Linnaeus, 1758
Common name: sharksucker.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore areas, adults live attached to larger ﬁshes.
Record basis: Underwater sightings and photographs taken in the Archipelago area, often seen attached to Ginglymostoma cirratum, Mycteroperca bonaci and Trachinotus falcatus.
Coryphaenidae - dolphinﬁshes
Coryphaena sp.
Habitat: pelagic, more common in oﬀshore areas.
Record basis: larvae, Nonaka (1999).
Carangidae - jacks
Caranx hippos (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common name: crevalle jack.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore open areas, rarely seen near reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 61330 (1), 34.8mm SL.
Caranx latus Agassiz, 1829
Common name: horse-eye jack.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore open areas, frequently seen on reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60734 (1), 221mm SL; MZUSP 61144 (1), 151mm SL.
Carangoides bartholomaei (Cuvier, 1833)
Common name: yellow jack.
Habitat: near rocky and coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60540 (1), 42.7mm SL; MZUSP 60704 (1), 54.5mm SL
RAP site records: 6, 15, 19, and 28.
Carangoides crysos (Mitchill, 1815)
Common name: blue runner.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore open areas, frequently seen on reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60498 (1), 273mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 9, 13-16, 19, 20, 23, 29, 37 and 41.
Carangoides ruber (Bloch, 1793)
Common name: bar jack.
Habitat: near rocky and coralline reefs.

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Record basis: Several underwater sightings and photographs.
RAP site records: 15 and 28.
Chloroscombrus chrysurus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common name: Atlantic bumber.
Habitat: coastal areas, sometimes seen near reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 61313 (1), 100.8mm SL.
RAP site records: 14.
Pseudocaranx dentex (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Habitat: near rocky and coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 53003 (1), 208.8mm SL; MZUSP 60492 (1), 232mm SL; MZUSP 60754 (1), 175mm SL.
RAP site records: 5, 13-15, 37, and 43.
Selar crumenophthalmus (Bloch, 1793)
Common name: bigeye scad.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore open areas, frequently seen near reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52883 (3), 91.9-94.4mm SL; MZUSP 60558 (4), 126.7-135.8mm SL.
Selene vomer (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: lookdown ﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal areas, sometimes seen near reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 61305 (1), 106.7mm SL.
Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833
Common name: yellowtail.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore open areas, frequently seen on reefs.
Record basis: underwater sighting on Abrolhos Reefs.
Trachinotus goodei Jordan & Evermann, 1896
Common name: palometa.
Habitat: coastal open areas, common on estuaries and beaches.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Trachinotus falcatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: permit.
Habitat: coastal and oﬀshore open areas, frequently seen on reefs.
Record basis: underwater sightings and photographs taken in the Archipelago area.
RAP site record: 26.
Lutjanidae - snappers
Lutjanus analis (Cuvier, 1829)
Common name: mutton snapper.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas, sometimes on hard bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 52722 (1), 340.7mm SL; MZUSP 60496 (1), 200.4mm SL.
RAP site records: 13, 19, 21, and 24.
Lutjanus apodus (Walbaum, 1792)
Common name: schoolmaster.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, rarely on soft bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 60838 (2), 152.2-193.5mm SL.
RAP site record: 13.

Lutjanus new species (Moura & Lindeman in press)
Habitat: coralline, rocky reefs and mangroves
RAP site records: 6 and 19.

Rhomboplites aurorubens (Cuvier, 1829)
Common name: vermillion snapper

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

109

Appendix 2

Habitat: deep reefs
Record basis: Costa et al. (2005)
Lutjanus jocu (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Common name: dog snapper.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60839 (2), 153.7-164.8mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 6, 7, 9, 13-16, 19-21, 24, 35, 37, and 43.
Lutjanus synagris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: lane snapper.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas, sometimes on hard bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 60787 (1), 298mm SL; MZUSP 61146 (1), 151.6mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 6, 12-14, 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 37, 42, and 43.
Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch, 1791)
Common name: yellowtail snapper.
Habitat: near rocky and coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60753 (1), 39.6mm SL; MZUSP 61147 (1), 175.2mm SL
RAP site records: 1, 3-9, 11, 14-21, 23-26, 28-31, 33-36, 38-40, 42, 43, and 45.
Gerreidae – mojaras
Eucinostomus havanna (Nichols, 1912)
Common name: bigeye mojarra.
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy areas.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Eucinostomus melanopterus
Common name: ﬂagﬁn mojarra.
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy areas, sometimes on hard bottoms.
RAP site records: 1, 6, 12, 14, 17, 18, and 43.
Ulaema lefroyi (Goode, 1874)
Common name: mottled mojarra.
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy areas, sometimes on hard bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 60508 (4), 14.9-37.7mm SL.
Haemulidae - grunts
Anisotremus moricandi (Ranzani, 1842)
Habitat: coastal reefs and adjacent sandy/rubble areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 61148 (1), 155.7mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
RAP site records: 9 and 12-14.
Anisotremus surinamensis (Bloch, 1791)
Common name: black margate.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60520 (2), 23.2-26.6mm SL; MZUSP 60808 (11), 11.0-38.5mm SL.
RAP site records: 6, 8, 13-15, 18, and 20.
Anisotremus virginicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: porkﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52875 (1), 34mm SL; MZUSP 60532 (1), 119.5mm SL; MZUSP 61154 (1), 190mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3, 4, 7-9, 11, 13, 15-21, 23-31, 34-41, 43, and 45.
Conodon nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: barred grunt.

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Habitat: coastal sandy and rubble areas, frequent on beaches.
Material examined: MZUSP 61328 (11), 77.1-103.5mm SL.
Genyatremus luteus (Bloch, 1795)
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, preferentially in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61329 (1), 63mm SL.
Haemulon aurolineatum Cuvier, 1830
Common name: tomtate.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 53021 (2), 41.1-66.9mm SL; MZUSP 60503 (1), 76.9mm SL; MZUSP 61137 (1), 124.5mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3-9, 11-21, 23-26, 28-31, 33, 36, 38, 39, 42, 43, and 45.
Haemulon parra (Desmarest, 1823)
Common name: sailor’s choice.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52837 (1), 96.4mm SL; MZUSP 60837 (1), 83.9mm SL; MZUSP 61139 (1), 142.6mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 14, 16, 17, 19, 23, 37, 43, and 45.
Haemulon plumieri (Lacépède, 1802)
Common name: white grunt.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, sometimes in adjacent sand/rubble areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 60755 (1), 85.7mm SL; MZUSP 61138 (1), 136mm SL
RAP site records: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11-21, 23-25, 27, 37-41, and 43.
Haemulon squamipinna Rocha & Rosa, 1999
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, sometimes in adjacent sand/rubble areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 60493 (1), 122mm SL; MZUSP 60844 (1), 115.4mm SL
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 19 and 28.
Haemulon steindachneri (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
Common name: latin grunt.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, sometimes in adjacent sand/rubble areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 60537 (1), 91.6mm SL.
Pomadasys corvinaeformis (Steindachner, 1868)
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, also on beaches.
Material examined: MZUSP 61336 (4), 87.9-106.8mm SL.
Sparidae - porgies
Calamus pennatula Guichenot, 1868
Habitat: sand and rubble areas near reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52832 (1), 258.7 mm SL; MZUSP 52886 (1), 242.6mm SL; MZUSP 60549 (1), 252.0mm SL.
RAP site records: 25, 31, 33, and 41.
Diplodus argenteus (Valenciennes, 1830)
Common name: silver porgy.
Habitat: rocky bottoms.
Record basis: Underwater sightings and photographs taken in the Archipelago area.
Polynemidae – threadﬁns
Polydactylus virginicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: barbu.
Habitats: sandy bottoms near islands and reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60898 (1), 104.0mm SL.

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

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Appendix 2

Sciaenidae - drums
Bairdiella ronchus (Cuvier, 1830)
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, often in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61322 (1), 106.2mm SL.
Ctenosciaena gracillicirrhus (Metzeelar, 1919)
Habitat: sandy and muddy bottoms, from the shore to more than 200m depth.
Material examined: MZUSP 60902 (1), 121.6mm SL; MZUSP 61327 (1), 104.7mm SL.
Cynoscion jamaicensis (Vaillant & Bocourt, 1883)
Habitat: sandy and muddy bottoms, from the shore to more than 100m depth.
Material examined: MZUSP 60905 (1), 119.7mm SL.
Cynoscion leiarchus (Cuvier, 1830)
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, often in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61334 (1), 71.8mm SL.
Cynoscion microlepidotus (Cuvier, 1830)
Habitat: estuaries, occasionally found in more saline waters.
Material examined: MZUSP 61335 (3), 113.7-146.4mm SL.
Cynoscion virescens (Cuvier, 1830)
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, occasionally found in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 60877 (1), 179.9mm SL.
Equetus punctatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Common name: spotted drum.
Habitat: coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60723 (1), 32.2mm SL.
Isopisthus parvipinnis (Cuvier, 1830)
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, often in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 60884 (1), 112.7mm SL; MZUSP 60901 (1), 149.6mm SL; MZUSP 61333 (15), 109-203mm SL.
Larimus breviceps (Cuvier, 1830)
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, often in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 60887 (1), 116.9mm SL; MZUSP 60903 (1), 127.7mm SL; MZUSP 61332 (3), 117.3-159.9mm SL.
Macrodon ancylodon (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, often in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 60876 (1), 161mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: southern kingﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, often in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61325 (6), 78.4-187.3mm SL.
Menticirrhus littoralis (Holbrook, 1860)
Common name: gulf kingﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, less frequent in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61326 (1), 104.9mm SL.
Odontoscion dentex (Cuvier, 1830)
Common name: reef croaker.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52872 (1), 50.2mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 12-14, 17, 18, 36, and 43.
Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1875)
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, to at least 100m depth.
Material examined: MZUSP 60881 (1), 113.5mm SL; MZUSP 60904 (1), 124.7mm SL; MZUSP 61321 (7), 105.9-171.4mm SL.

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Pareques acuminatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Common name: high-hat.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52279 (1), 79.6mm SL; MZUSP 53009 (1), 69.3mm SL; MZUSP 60743 (1), 52.2mm SL.
RAP site records: 19, 27, 41, and 43.
Stellifer brasiliensis (Schultz, 1945)
Habitat: estuaries, also found in more saline waters.
Material examined: MZUSP 60900 (1), 123.0mm SL; MZUSP 61324 (11), 77.4-125.2mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Stellifer rastrifer (Jordan, 1889)
Habitat: estuaries, also found in more saline waters.
Material examined: MZUSP 61323 (5), 64.3-140.0mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Stellifer new species
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 60885 (1), 95.6mm SL; MZUSP 60899 (1), 127.8mm SL.
Remarks: apparently endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Umbrina coroides (Cuvier, 1830)
Common name: sand drum.
Habitat: coastal sandy and muddy bottoms, often in estuaries.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Mullidae - goatﬁshes
Pseudupeneus maculatus (Bloch, 1793)
Common name: spotted goatﬁsh.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas adjacent to coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60695 (1), 170.6mm SL.
RAP site records: 3, 11-15, 17-20, 27, 28, 31, 33, 36, 37, 41, 43, and 45.
Pempheridae - sweepers
Pempheris schomburgki Muller & Troschell, 1848
Common name: glassy sweeper.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 53024 (4), 19.2-25.3mm SL.
RAP site records: 15, 17, 17, and 43.
Chaetodontidae - butterﬂyﬁshes
Chaetodon sedentarius Poey, 1860
Common name: reef butterﬂyﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: several underwater sightings.
RAP site records: 31, 33, and 42.
Chaetodon striatus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name: banded butterﬂyﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52994 (2), 91.3mm SL; MZUSP 60798 (1), 41mm SL
RAP site records: 3-5, 7, 11-14, 16, 17, 19-21, 23, 25-31, 33-41, 43, and 45.
Pomacanthidae - angelﬁshes
Holacanthus ciliaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: queen angelﬁsh.

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Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52888 (2), 79.1-99.9mm SL; MZUSP 60533 (1), 103.7mm SL.
RAP site records: 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 14-17, 19-21, 28, 29, 31, 34, 35, 38-41, and 43.
Holacanthus tricolor (Bloch, 1795)
Common name: rock beauty.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: several underwater sightings.
Pomacanthus arcuatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: gray angelﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52836 (1), 113.7 mm SL; MZUSP 52997 (1), 71.1mm SL; MZUSP 60724 (1), 209mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3-8, 13, 14, 16-18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 29, 33-40, and 45.
Pomacanthus paru (Bloch, 1787)
Common name: French angelﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52718 (2), 12.9-21.8mm SL; MZUSP 52995 (1), 55.6mm SL; MZUSP 60786 (1), 66.4mm SL; ZUEC 4447
(3), 19.9-36.2mm SL
RAP site records: 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16-19, 21, 23, 25-29, 33, 36-40, 43, and 45.
Kyphosidae - chubs
Kyphosus sectatrix (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: Bermuda chub.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 53004 (1), 242.8mm SL.
Cirrhitidae – hawkﬁshes
Amblycirrhitus pinos (Mowbray, 1927)
Common name: redspotted hawkﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sightings on Caladas and Itacolomis Reefs.
RAP site records: 15 and 28.
Pomacentridae - damselﬁshes
Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: Sergeant major.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60506 (3), 21.2-34.8mm SL; ZUEC 3198 (2), 18.5-20.4mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3, 4, 6-9, 13-21, 23-26, 29, 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 43, and 45.
Chromis marginata (Castelnau, 1855)
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60848 (5), 28.8-94.5mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 18, 27, 28, and 42.
Microspathodon chrysurus (Cuvier, 1830)
Common name: yellowtail damselﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52825 (1), 152.2mm SL.
RAP site records: 9, 13, 15, 18, 21, 38, 42, and 43.
Stegastes pictus (Castelnau, 1855)
Common name: yellowtip damsel.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52984 (11), 15-56mm SL.
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Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 3, 4, 18, 23, 26-31, 34, and 41.
Stegastes fuscus (Cuvier, 1830)
Common name: Brazilian damsel.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60806 (7), 20.9-57.3mm SL; MZUSP 60891 (1), 89.8mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records (includes both S. fuscus and S. variabilis records): 1, 3-9, 11-21, 23-27, 29, 30, 33-40, and 43.
Stegastes variabilis (Castelnau, 1855)
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52993 (1), 34.3mm SL; MZUSP 60805 (1), 27.9mm SL
Remarks: apparently endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records (includes both S. fuscus and S. variabilis records): 1, 3-9, 11-21, 23-27, 29, 30, 33-40, and 43.
Labridae - wrasses
Bodianus pulchellus (Poey, 1860)
Common name: spotﬁn hogﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sighting on Itacolomis reefs.
RAP site record: 16.
Bodianus rufus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: Spanish hogﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60849 (2), 65.7-75.8mm SL.
RAP site records: 11, 15, 27, and 28.
Clepticus brasiliensis Heiser, Moura & Robertson, 2000
Common name: Brazilian creole wrasse.
Habitat: open areas on coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sighting on Caladas bank.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site record: 28.
Doratonotus megalepis Günther, 1862
Common name: dwarf wrasse.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, often associated with algal mats.
Material examined: MZUSP 52261 (2), 22.0-41.6mm SL; MZUSP 52290 (3), 20.9-30.4mm SL; MZUSP 60841 (3), 18.4-30.3mm SL.
RAP site records: 19, 27, and 43.
Halichoeres brasiliensis (Bloch, 1791)
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52711 (1), 34.2mm SL; MZUSP 52869 (3), 28.2-44mm SL; MZUSP 60517 (2), 28.1-37.3mm SL; MZUSP
60757 (2), 290-321mm SL
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 13-19, 21, 23-26, 31, 36, 37, and 43.
Halichoeres dimidiatus (Agassiz, 1831)
Common name: yellowcheek wrasse.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sightings at several sites.
RAP site records: 26-28, 34, 41, and 42.

Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America
Halichoeres penrosei (Starks, 1813)
Common name: clown wrasse.
Habitat: open areas on coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sighting on northern coastal reefs and on Caladas Bank.
RAP site records: 9, 13, and 18.

Remarks: endemic to Brazil

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Halichoeres poeyi (Steindachner, 1867)
Common name: blackear wrasse.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60527 (1), 67.8mm SL; MZUSP 60690 (1), 46.7mm SL; MZUSP 60705 (1), 35.0mm SL; MZUSP 60739 (7),28.1-52.8mm SL; MZUSP 60747(2), 34.4-45.3mm SL; MZUSP 60811 (12), 23.8-79.7mm SL; MZUSP 60829 (1), 47.5mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 4-7, 9, 11-17, 19, 20, 23-31, 33, 37-39, 41, 43, and 45.
Thalassoma noronhanum (Boulenger, 1890)
Common name: Noronha wrasse.
Habitat: open areas on coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Several sightings on Caladas Bank.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 27 and 28.
Xyrichthys novacula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: pearly razorﬁsh.
Habitat: sandy areas near reefs.
Record basis: underwater sighting in the Archipelago area.
Scaridae - parrotﬁshes
Cryptotomus roseus Cope, 1871
Common name: bluelip parrotﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, also on rubble bottoms and seagrass beds.
Material examined: MZUSP 53074 (1), 43.2mm SL; MZUSP 60738 (1), 22.3mm SL
RAP site records: 1, 4, 19, 28, 31, and 41.
Scarus guacamaia Cuvier, 1829
Common name: rainbow parrotﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline reefs.
Material examined: USNM 43304. Roux (1973) also refers to the rainbow parrotﬁsh in Abrolhos (station 87, St. Barbara Island).
Remarks: see text.
Scarus trispinosus Valenciennes 1840
Common name: greenbeak parrotﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, sometimes on seagrass beds.
Material examined: MZUSP 60767 (1), 188.4mm SL; ZUEC 4656 (1), 160mm SL
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 1, 3, 6, 13, 14, 16-21, 23, 24, 26, 29, 30, 33-40, 43, and 45.
Scarus zelindae Moura, Figueiredo & Sazima, 2001
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60534 (1), 165.2mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 1, 3, 4, 8, 13-16, 18-21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 35-40, 42, and 45.
Sparisoma amplum (Ranzani, 1842)
Common name: reef parrotﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 47911 (1), length not taken.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 11, 14, 18, 28, 37, 38, and 40.
Sparisoma axillare (Steindachner, 1878)
Common name: gray parrotﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, sometimes in seagrass and seaweed beds.
Material examined: MZUSP 60535 (2), 111.9-133.9mm SL; MZUSP 60768 (1), 160.3mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 1, 3-9, 11-21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 37-40, 43, and 45.

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Sparisoma frondosum (Agassiz 1829)
Common name: Agassiz’s parrotﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, sometimes in seagrass and seaweed beds.
Material examined: MZUSP 60539 (2), 158.6-176.3mm SL; MZUSP 60832 (1), 89mm SL; MZUSP 60892 (1), 91.4mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 1, 3-5, 8, 9, 11, 13-21, 23-29, 31, 33-36, 38-41, and 43.
Sparisoma radians (Valenciennes, 1839)
Common name: bucktooth parrotﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, often in seagrass and seaweed beds.
Record basis: Several underwater sightings.
RAP site records: 1, 19, 20, 27, 28, 41, and 43.
Sparisoma tuiupiranga Gasparini, Joyeux & Floeter, 2003
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, often in seagrass and seaweed beds.
Record basis: A single underwater sighting in the Archipelago area.
Tripterygiidae - tripleﬁns
Enneanectes altivelis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: lofty tripleﬁn.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52708 (2), 10.6-13.0mm SL; MZUSP 52713 (6), 11.6-21.0mm SL; MZUSP 52871 (1), 25.0mm SL; MZUSP
52981 (6), 13.8-24.7mm SL; MZUSP 60512 (3), 20.7-23.3mm SL.
RAP site records: 38, 39, and 42.
Dactyloscopidae – sand stargazers
Dactyloscopus crossotus Starks, 1913
Common name: bigeye stargazer.
Habitat: sand and rubble bottoms, often near reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60740 (1), 38.1mm SL; MZUSP 60819 (3), 45.5-54.5mm SL.
RAP site record: 10.
Platygillellus brasiliensis Feitoza 2001
Habitat: coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 57606 (1), 27.2mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Labrisomidae – scaled blennies
Labrisomus kalisherae (Jordan, 1904)
Common name: downy blenny.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52264 (1), 45.7mm SL; MZUSP 52268 (3), 24.0-57.2mm SL; MZUSP 52975 (1), 45.4mm SL; MZUSP 60526(2), 28.6-56.7mm SL; MZUSP 60546 (1), 55.2mm SL; ZUEC 4433 (1), 33.9mm SL.
Labrisomus nuchipinnis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Common name: hairy blenny.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 53008 (1), 95.7mm SL; MZUSP 60489 (1), 68.1mm SL; MZUSP 60524 (1), 58.8mm SL; MZUSP 60560 (2),82-92.6mm SL; MZUSP 60570 (4), 20.3-100.8mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 6, 9, 10, 12-16, 18, 23, 37, 43, and 45.
Labrisomus cricota Sazima, Gasparini & Moura, 2002
Common name: tufted blenny.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sightings in the Archipelago area.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 13 and 14.

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Malacoctenus new species
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52978 (3), 17.8-28.0mm SL; MZUSP 52991 (1), 36.7mm SL; MZUSP 60511 (7), 31.4-36.8mm SL; MZUSP
60551 (1), 31.8mm SL; MZUSP 60575 (3), 24.1-31.9mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 1, 3-9, 11-21, 23, 25-27, 29-31 and 34-43.
Paraclinus arcanus Guimarães & Bacellar, 2002
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60729 (1), 22.7mm SL; MZUSP 60751 (3), 27.9-32.1mm SL; MZUSP 52982 (1), 22.5mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Starksia brasiliensis (Gilbert, 1900)
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52976 (2), 25.9-29.2mm SL; MZUSP 60523 (1), 29.7mm SL; MZUSP 60563 (7), 13.1-29.8mm SL; MZUSP
60582 (1), 25.3mm SL; MZUSP 60698 (1), 24.6mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 9, 10, 16, and 42.
Starksia new species
Habitat: coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 57607 (1), 30.7mm SL; MZUSP 60513 (1), 24.7mm SL
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Chaenopsidae - ﬂagblennies
Emblemariopsis signifera (Ginsburg, 1942)
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52710 (1), 15.2mm SL; MZUSP 60514 (1), 14.9mm SL; MZUSP 60545 (1), 14.1mm SL; MZUSP 60566 (1),11.8mm SL; MZUSP 60577 (6), 13.5-17.9mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3, 8, 9, 20, 21, 23, 26, 30, 33, 35, 36, 38-40, 42, and 43.
Blenniidae – combtooth blennies
Entomacrodus vomerinus (Valenciennes, 1836)
Habitat: coralline reefs, more common on intertidal areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 52281 (1), 32.1mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Hypleurochilus pseudoaequipinnis Bath, 1994
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60713 (1), 18mm SL; MZUSP 60722 (1), 17.8mm SL; MZUSP 60762 (1), 18.3mm SL.
Lupinoblennius paivai (Pinto, 1958)
Habitat: estuaries and mangroves.
Record basis: Its presence is inferred, as it was collected in the Mucuri River, a few kilometers south of Abrolhos.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Ophioblennius atlanticus (Valenciennes, 1836)
Common name: redlip blenny.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60794 (1), 80.7mm SL; MZUSP 60822 (1), 74.6mm SL.
RAP site records: 9, 13, 15, 16, 18, and 38.
Parablennius marmoreus (Poey, 1875)
Common name: seaweed blenny.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52714 (1), 29.1mm SL; MZUSP 52890 (4), 26-39mm SL; MZUSP 52979 (1), 21.7mm SL; MZUSP 60510(1), 30.4mm SL; MZUSP 60516 (1), 18.5mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3-9, 13-17, 19-21, 23-25, 27, 30, 34, 36, 37, and 43.

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Scartella cf. cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: molly miller.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52866 (14), 14.1-49.9mm SL; MZUSP 60573 (48), 21.7-67.5mm SL; ZUEC 3262 (3), 45.0-52.7mm SL.
Remarks: probably endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Gobiesocidae - clingﬁshes
Tomicodon new species
Habitat: poorly known; our specimens came from tide pools.
Material examined: MZUSP 60572 (1), 16.6mm SL; MZUSP 52873 (16), 8.1-21.5mm SL; ZUEC 3277 (3), 16.3-21.7mm SL.
Remarks: probably endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Callionymidae - dragonets
Unidentiﬁed species
Record basis: larvae, Nonaka (1999).
Gobiidae
Barbulifer ceuthoecus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1884)
Common name: bearded goby.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, generally on rubble.
Material examined: MZUSP 60543 (1), 16.7mm SL; MZUSP 60761 (3), 13.9-16.4mm SL; ZUEC 3263 (1), 19.3mm SL.
Bathygobius new species
Habitat: poorly known. Our specimens come from sandy and rubble areas adjacent to reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52867 (8), 33.4-63.5mm SL; MZUSP 60507 (25), 20.9-58.2mm SL; MZUSP 60817 (15), 18.6-41mm SL;
ZUEC 3274 (3), 40.1-44.6mm SL.
RAP site record: 10.
Coryphopterus dicrus Böhlke & Robins, 1960
Common name: colon goby.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, generally near sand patches.
Material examined: MZUSP 52879 (1), 35.2mm SL; MZUSP 52985 (1), 26.1mm SL; MZUSP 60515 (1), 30.6mm SL; MZUSP 60550 (1),28.9mm SL; MZUSP 60580 (2), 30.4-31.0mm SL.
RAP site records for Coryphopterus spp.: 1, 3, 4, 10, 12-14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 30, 31, 35, 41, 43, and 45.
Coryphopterus glaucofraenum Gill, 1863
Common name: bridled goby.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, generally near sand patches.
Material examined: MZUSP 60812 (1), 34.7mm SL; MZUSP 52874 (1), 33mm SL.
RAP sites records for Coryphopterus spp.: 1, 3, 4, 10, 12-14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 30, 31, 35, 41, 43, and 45.
Coryphopterus thrix Böhlke & Robins 1960
Common name: bartail goby
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs, generally near sand patches
Material examined: MZUSP 60712 (2), 24.3-30.6; MZUSP 60862 (1), 25.6mm SL
RAP sites records for Coryphopterus spp.: 1, 3, 4, 10, 12-14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 30, 31, 35, 41, 43, and 45.
Elacatinus ﬁgaro Sazima, Moura & Rosa, 1997
Common name: barber goby
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52717 (1), 15.4mm SL; MZUSP 53075 (2), 16.7-18.4mm SL; MZUSP 60519 (2), 21.5-24.7mm SL; MZUSP
60544 (1), 21.4mm SL; MZUSP 60691 (1), 17.9mm SL; ZUEC 3909 (2), 9.2-9.8mm SL; ZUEC 4449 (1), 24.1mm SL.
Remarks: a cleaner goby endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 1, 3-5, 7-9, 11, 14, 16-20, 23, 25-31, 33, 36, 38, 40, 41, 43, and 45.
Gobionellus boleosoma (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
Common name: darter goby.

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Habitat: soft bottoms, very common in estuaries and mangroves.
Material examined: MZUSP 60504 (30), 15.1-41.2mm SL.
Gobionellus saepepallens (Gilbert & Randall, 1969)
Common name: dash goby.
Habitat: soft bottoms near rocky and coralline reefs.
Record basis: several underwater sightings on soft sediments near reefs.
RAP site records: 1, 13, 14, 20, 23, and 24.
Gobiosoma hemigymnum (Jordan & Evermann, 1888)
Habitat: soft bottoms near rocky and coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60710 (1), 14.1mm SL; MZUSP 60716 (2), 14.2-16.9mm SL.
Lythrypnus brasiliensis Greenﬁeld, 1988
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52977 (1), 14.9mm SL; MZUSP 60585 (1), 10.4mm SL; MZUSP 60813 (10), 12.9-18.7mm SL; MZUSP
60865 (2), 9.8-10mm SL; MZUSP 60868 (4), 10.6-13.5mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site records: 10, 41, and 42.
Microgobius carri Fowler, 1945
Common name: Seminole goby.
Habitat: sandy bottoms adjacent to rocky and coralline reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60541 (2), 32.8-34.9mm SL; MZUSP 60874 (1), 24.0mm SL.
RAP site record: 43.
Priolepis dawsoni Greenﬁeld, 1989
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sightings at Timbebas and Parcel dos Abrolhos.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
RAP site record: 42.
Psilotris celsus Böhlke, 1963
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60814 (2), 16.6-17.3mm SL.
RAP site record: 10.
Risor ruber (Rosén, 1911)
Common name: tusked goby.
Habitat: coralline reefs, generally inside tubular sponges.
Record basis: Specimens collected on Abrolhos Reefs that were lost.
Microdesmidae - wormﬁshes
Ptereleotris randalli Gasparini, Rocha & Floeter, 2001
Common name: hovering goby.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas near coral reefs.
Record basis: Several underwater sightings.
RAP sites records: 16, 31, 33, 38, and 42.
Remarks: endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic.
Ephippidae – spadeﬁshes
Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet, 1782)
Common name: spadeﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal areas, from estuaries to coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 61307 (1), 54.8mm SL.
RAP site record: 9.

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Acanthuridae - surgeonﬁshes
Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855
Common name: ocean surgeon.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60499 (1), 128.1; MZUSP 60803 (13), 29.8-41.2mm SL; MZUSP 60836 (2), 32.0-35.6mm SL.
RAP site records: 3, 4, 6, 9-11, 14, 17-21, 23-25, 27-31, 33, 34, 36, 38-43, and 45.
Acanthurus chirurgus (Bloch, 1787)
Common name: doctorﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52273 (2), 43.0-49.1mm SL; MZUSP 60500 (1), 142.5mm SL; MZUSP 60744 (1), 38.9mm SL; MZUSP
60804 (9), 28.2-78.5mm SL; MZUSP 61158 (1), 150mm SL.
RAP site records: 3-14, 16-21, 23-30, 33, 36-41, 43, and 45.
Acanthurus coeruleus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Common name: blue tang.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60501 (1), 116.5mm SL; MZUSP 60521 (1), 31.1mm SL; MZUSP 60831 (1), 84.9mm SL; MZUSP 61136 (1),99.2mm SL.
RAP site records: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11-14, 16-21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29-31, 33-36, 38-40, 42, and 45.
Sphyraenidae - barracudas
Sphyraena barracuda (Walbaum, 1792)
Common name: great barracuda.
Habitat: open areas adjacent to coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Several underwater sightings and ﬁsheries specimens examined
RAP site records: 3, 6, and 43.
Sphyraena guachancho Cuvier 1829
Common name: guaguanche.
Habitat: open areas adjacent to coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Underwater sightings in the Archipelago area.
Trichiuridae – cutlassﬁshes
Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name: Atlantic cutlassﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal areas, rarely near reefs.
Record basis: Nunan (1979) and ﬁsheries landings.
Scombridae - mackerels
Scomberomorus brasiliensis Collette, Russo & Zavalla-Camin, 1978
Common name: Atlantic sierra.
Habitat: open areas, sometimes observed on coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Several specimens observed underwater and in ﬁsheries landings
RAP site records: 6, 15, 18, 36, 43, and 45.
Scomberomorus cavalla (Cuvier, 1829)
Common name: king mackerel.
Habitat: open areas, sometimes observed on coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Specimens observed in ﬁsheries landings.
Stromateidae - butterﬁshes
Peprilus paru (Linnaeus, 1758)
Habitat: soft bottoms, from the shore to more than 130m depth.
Material examined: MZUSP 60879 (1), 87.5mm SL; MZUSP 61308 (4), 97.7-102.5mm SL.
Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

121

Appendix 2

Bothidae – lefteye ﬂounders
Bothus lunatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: peacock ﬂounder.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas near coral reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 40239 (1), 198mm SL.
RAP site records: 13 and 43.
Bothus ocellatus (Agassiz, 1831)
Common name: eyed ﬂounder.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas near coral reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60556 (1), 52mm SL.
RAP site records: 13 and 43.
Paralichthydae - ﬂounders
Paralichthys isosceles Jordan, 1891
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms.
Record basis: original description (Jordan 1891), from “Bahia”.
Citharichthys spilopleurus Günther, 1862
Common name: bay whiﬀ.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, frequently found in estuaries.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Syacium micrurum Ranzani, 1840
Common name: channel ﬂounder.
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms.
Material examined: MZUSP 60557 (1), 178.7mm SL; MZUSP 60895 (1), 110.2mm SL.
Syacium papillosum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: dusky ﬂounder.
Habitat: soft bottoms, often in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61143 (1), 101.2mm SL.
Cyclopsetta chittendeni Bean, 1895
Common name: Mexican ﬂounder.
Habitat: soft bottoms, from the shore to about 150m depth.
Material examined: MZUSP 55038 (1), 175mm SL.
Achiridae - American soles
Achirus declivis Chabanaud, 1940
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, frequently found in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61309 (6), 86.3-122.1mm SL.
Achirus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: lined sole.
Habitat: estuaries, and also found in more saline areas.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Trinectes microphthalmus (Chabanaud, 1928)
Habitat: estuaries, and also found in more saline areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 60896 (1), 61.5mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Trinectes paulistanus (Ribeiro, 1915)
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, also found in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 61310 (7), 89.3-126.8mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.

122

Rapid Assessment ProgramChecklist of reef and shore ﬁsh species
recorded from the Abrolhos region

Cynoglossidae - tongueﬁshes
Symphurus diomedianus (Goode & Bean, 1885)
Ommon name: spottedﬁn tongueﬁsh.
Habitat: soft bottoms, from the shore to about 150m depth.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Symphurus tesselatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Habitat: coastal soft bottoms, frequently found in estuaries.
Material examined: MZUSP 60880 (1), 141.7mm SL; MZUSP 61317 (15), 119.1-157.8mm SL.
Balistidae – leatherjackets
Balistes vetula Linnaeus, 1758
Common name: queen triggerﬁsh.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas, more frequently near or on reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 53005 (1), 82.6mm SL.
RAP site records: 19, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 33, 35, 37, 41, 43, and 45.
Monacanthidae - ﬁleﬁshes
Aluterus monocerus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: unicorn ﬁleﬁsh.
Habitat: very variable, from estuaries to coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 61135 (1), 308mm SL.
Aluterus schoepﬁ (Walbaum, 1792)
Common name: orange ﬁleﬁsh.
Habitat: coastal areas, from estuaries to coralline and rocky reefs.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Aluterus scriptus (Osbeck, 1765)
Common name: scrawled ﬁleﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52884 (1), 404.2mm SL.
RAP site record: 39.
Cantherines macrocerus (Hollard, 1854)
Common name: whitespotted ﬁleﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs
Material examined: MZUSP 52830 (1), 282.3mm SL.
RAP site records: 26-28.
Cantherines pullus (Ranzani, 1842)
Common name: orangespotted ﬁleﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52834 (1), 135.9mm SL; MZUSP 53006 (1), 128.2mm SL.
RAP site records: 9, 15, 16, 18, and 45.
Monacanthus ciliatus (Mitchill, 1818)
Common name: fringed ﬁleﬁsh.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas, sometimes near reefs.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Stephanolepis hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: planehead ﬁleﬁsh.
Habitat: sand and rubble areas, sometimes near reefs.
Record basis: Roux (1973).
Ostraciidae - boxﬁshes

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

123

Appendix 2

Acanthostracion polygonius Poey, 1876
Common name: honeycomb cowﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60530 (1), 315mm SL.
RAP site record: 27.
Acanthostracion quadricornis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: scrawled cowﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60782 (1), 425mm SL.
Lactophrys trigonus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: trunkﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60756 (1), 421mm SL.
RAP site record: 8.
Tetraodontidae - puffers
Canthigaster ﬁgueiredoi Moura & Castro, 2002
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60536 (1), 78.4mm SL; MZUSP 60538 (1), 62.3mm SL
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
RAP site records: 20, 25, 29, 31, 33, 40, and 42.
Lagocephalus laevigatus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common name: smooth puﬀer.
Habitat: very variable on coastal areas, from estuaries to near reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 61149 (1), 371mm SL; MZUSP 61316 (1), 79.3mm SL.
Sphoeroides spengleri (Bloch, 1785)
Common name: bandtail puﬀer.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52289 (1), 47.0mm SL.
RAP site record: 38.
Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: checkered puﬀer.
Habitat: estuaries, sometimes penetrating up rivers, also found in more saline areas.
Material examined: MZUSP 61306 (1), 178.9mm SL.
RAP site record: 12.
Sphoeroides tyleri Shipp, 1974
Habitat: coastal soft bottom areas.
Record basis: Nunan (1979).
Remarks: endemic to the Atlantic coast of South America.
Diodontidae - porcupineﬁshes
Cyclichthys spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: burrﬁsh.
Habitat: areas adjacent to coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 52719 (1), 135.4mm SL.
Remarks: endemic to the western South Atlantic.
Diodon holocanthus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name: baloonﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60851 (1), 145.4mm SL.
RAP site records: 27 and 28.

124

Rapid Assessment ProgramChecklist of reef and shore ﬁsh species
recorded from the Abrolhos region

Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758
Common name: porcupineﬁsh.
Habitat: coralline and rocky reefs.
Material examined: MZUSP 60494 (1), 224.7mm SL; MZUSP 60897 (1), 74.2mm SL.
RAP site record: 43.
Addendum: Bathypelagic ﬁsh families with larvae recorded on the Abrolhos Bank by Nonaka (1999)

Gonostomatidae – bristlemouths

Sternoptychidae - hatchetﬁshes
Photichthyidae - lightﬁshes
Paralepididae – barracudinas
Myctophidae – lanternﬁshes
Bregmacerotidae – codlets (only one genus in the world, Bregmaceros)

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

125

Appendix 3
Molluscs recorded during theAbrolhos RAP survey

SPECIESClass POLYPLACOPHORA
Family Ischnochitonidae
Calloplax janeirensis (Gray, 1828)
Ischnoplax edwini (Mello & Pinto,1989)
Ischnochiton striolatus (Gray, 1828)
Family Acanthochitonidae
Acanthochitona rhodea (Pilsbry, 1893)
Acanthochitona ciroi Righi, 1971
Acanthochitona pygmaea (Pilsbry, 1893)
Class PELECYPODA
Family Solemyidae
Solemya occidentalis Deshayes, 1857
Family Nuculidae
Nucula semiornata Orbigny, 1846
Nuculana semen (E.A.Smith, 1885)
Nuculana acuta (Conrad, 1831)
Family Arcidae
Barbatia cancellaria (Lamarck, 1819)
Barbatia tenera (C.B.Adams, 1845)
Barbatia sp.
Barbatia ectocomata (Dall, 1845)
Arcopsis adamsi (Dall, 1886)
Anadara baughmani Hertlein, 1951
Family Glycymerididae
Glycymeris tellinaeformis (Reeve, 1843)
Family Mytilidae
Crenella divaricata (Orbigny, 1846)
Musculus lateralis (Say, 1822)
Family Limidae
Limaria thryptica (Penna, 1971)
Limaria aﬀ. pellucida (C.B.Adams, 1846)
Family Pectinidae
Chlamys muscosus (Wood, 1829)
Chlamys sentis (Reeve, 1853)
Chlamys ornata (Lamarck,1819)
Chlamys sp.
Cyclopecten leptaleus (Verrill, 1884)
Pecten ziczac (Linnaeus, 1758)

126

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP SITE RECORDS

7, 34, 35
7, 34, 35
2, 3
7, 34
34
34

6
6, 21, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 33, 36, 37, 40, 43, 44
6, 7, 21, 37, 40,43
6, 5, 7, 9, 21, 23, 33, 37, 38, 40, 43
3, 30, 35, 43
6
6, 20
39
1, 9, 18
1, 7, 23
31
5, 7, 21, 23, 33, 36, 38, 40
36, 38, 43
6
41
5, 31
40
41
5, 37
5, 35, 40
31

Molluscs recorded during theAbrolhos RAP survey

SPECIES
Argopecten gibbus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family Lucinidae
Codakia costata (Orbigny, 1842)
Parvilucina multilineata (Tuomey & Holmes, 1857)
Ctena pectinella C. B. Adams, 1852
Family Thyasiridae
Thyasira sp.
Family Ungulinidae
Phlyctiderma notata Dall & Simpson, 1901
Family Carditidae
Carditamera ﬂoridana Conrad, 1838
Family Condylocardiidae
Carditopsis smithii (Dall, 1896)
Family Crassatellidae
Crassinella marplatensis Castellanos, 1970
Crassinella martinicensis (Orbigny, 1842)
Family Cardiidae
Laevicardium brasilianum (Lamarck, 1819)
Family Tellinidae
Tellina versicolor De Kay, 1843
Tellina martinicensis Orbigny, 1853
Tellina gibber Ihering, 1907
Tellina nitens C. B. Adams, 1845
Tellina sybaritica Dall, 1881
Tellina sp.
Macoma tenta (Say, 1834)
Family Semelidae
Semele bellastriata (Conrad, 1837)
Abra aequalis (Say, 1822)
Family Veneridae
Chione cancellata (Linnaeus, 1767)
Chione paphia (Linnaeus 1767)
Pitar albidus (Gmelin, 1791)
Ventricollaria rigida (Dillwyn, 1817)
Family Petricolidae
Petricola typica (Jonas, 1844)
Family Corbulidae
Corbula dietziana C.B.Adams, 1852
Corbula cubaniana Orbigny, 1853
Corbula operculata Philippi, 1849
Corbula caribaea Orbigny, 1842
Corbula sp.
Family Gastrochaenidae
Gastrochaena ovata Sowerby, 1834
Spengleria rostrata (Spengler, 1783)
Class SCAPHOPODA
Family Dentaliidae
Dentalium americanum Chenu, 1843
Dentalium sp.
Antalis disparile (Orbigny, 1842)
Family Laevidentaliidae
Laevidentalium sp.

RAP SITE RECORDS
40
37, 33, 43
33
43
7, 21
1, 7, 43
38
1, 21, 33
7, 21
1, 7, 9, 15, 21, 23, 30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 44
5, 21, 20, 31, 33, 37
14, 17, 40
17, 21, 36, 37, 40, 43
21, 33, 36, 37
1, 43
38
17, 1818
1, 5, 7, 9, 14, 17, 18, 23, 33, 34, 37, 38, 43
9, 17, 18, 33, 35, 43, 44
21, 30, 31, 33, 34, 37
38
5
20
3
7, 21, 34
1, 5, 9, 15, 18, 23, 36, 43
5, 38
18, 37143
3

43
33, 3592, 35

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

127

Appendix 3

SPECIESFamily Gadilidae
Gadila acus (Dall, 1889)
Class GASTROPODA
Family Scissurellidae
Sinezona brasiliensis Mattar, 1987
Family Fissurellidae
Emarginula aﬀ. pumila (A. Adams, 1851)
Fissurella rosea (Gmelin, 1791)
Diodora arcuata (Sowerby, 1862)
Diodora cayenensis (Lamarck, 1822)
Diodora dysoni (Reeve, 1850)
Diodora jaumei Aguayo & Rehder, 1936
Diodora miriﬁca Métivier, 1972
Diodora sp.
Lucapina sowerbi (Sowerby, 1835)
Lucapina philippiana (Finlay, 1930)
Lucapinella aﬀ. limatula (Reeve, 1850)
Family Acmaeidae
Collisella abrolhosensis (Petuch, 1979)
Family Trochidae
Calliostoma gemmosum (Reeve, 1842)
Calliostoma tenebrosum Quinn, 1992
Calliostoma sp.
Family Skeneidae
Parviturbo rehderi Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945
Parviturbo weberi Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945
Family Cyclostrematidae
Cyclostrema sp.
Family Turbinidae
Arene bairdii (Dall, 1889)
Arene aﬀ. boucheti Leal, 1991
Arene sp.
Astraea latispina (Philippi, 1844)
Family Tricolidae
Tricolia aﬃnis (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Tricolia bella (M. Smith, 1937)
Gabrielona sulcifera Robertson, 1973
Family Neritopsidae
Smaragdia viridis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family Rissoidea
Alvania aberrans (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Alvania auberiana (Orbigny, 1850)
Alvania caribaea Orbigny, 1842
Rissoina cancellata (Philippi, 1847)
Rissoina bryerea (Montagu, 1803)
Rissoina indiscreta Leal & Moore, 1989
Rissoina catesbyana Orbigny, 1842
Family Barleeidae
Protobarleeia pyrrocincta Absalão, 2002
Amphithalamus vallei Aguayo & Jaume, 1947
Caelatura barcellosi Absalão & Rios, 1995

128

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP SITE RECORDS
19, 4330, 34, 35
30, 35
1, 6, 939
1, 15, 38, 39
1, 4, 9, 20, 30, 35, 38
15
4, 5, 20, 23, 30, 31, 35, 38
1, 14, 3835
1
13, 9, 30, 34, 35, 38, 39
15, 382030, 35
1, 7, 11, 13, 19, 22, 34, 35, 36
1, 5, 13, 22
1, 7, 19, 35, 36
4, 20, 23, 38
30, 397, 9, 14, 23, 31, 33, 34, 35
40
1, 2, 6, 9, 12, 19, 20, 33, 35, 36, 39, 43, 44
1, 2, 6, 4, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 33, 35, 36, 37,
38, 39, 43
33, 352, 19, 36
7, 9, 15
1, 4, 5, 7, 11, 19, 22, 33, 34, 35, 36, 40, 43
19, 30, 33, 34, 35, 43
1, 7, 35, 38, 40, 43
1, 9
34
1, 6, 9, 19
2, 4, 11, 30, 34, 35, 36, 43
4, 30, 34, 35, 36
33

Molluscs recorded during theAbrolhos RAP survey

SPECIESFamily Elaschisinidae
Elaschisina ﬂoridana (Rheder, 1943)
Family Assimineidae
Assiminea succinea (Pfeiﬀer, 1840)
Family Caecidae
Caecum brasilicum Folin, 1874
Caecum ryssotitum Folin, 1867
Caecum regulare Carpenter, 1858
Caecum circumvolutum Folin, 1867
Caecum multicostatum Folin, 1867
Caecum (Caecum) sp.
Caecum ﬂoridanum Stimpson, 1851
Ceacum cycloferum Folin, 1867
Meioceras nitidum (Stimpson, 1851)
Meioceras cornucopiae (Carpenter, 1858)
Meioceras cubitatum (Folin, 1868)
Family Vitrinellidae
Episcynia inornata (Orbigny, 1842)
Parviturboides interruptus (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Solariorbis aﬀ. infracarinatus Gabb, 1881
Solariorbis shumoi (Vanatta, 1913)
Solariorbis bartschi (Vanatta, 1913)
Teinostoma aﬀ. nesaeum Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945
Teinostoma leremum Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945
Teinostoma incertum Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945
Teinostoma parvicallum Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945
Teinostoma clavium Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945
Teinostoma megastoma (C.B.Adams, 1850)
Teinostoma cryptospira (Verril, 1884)
Teinostoma cocolitoris Pilsbry & McGinty, 1945
Teinostoma sp.
Vitrinella sp.
Anticlimax sp.
Cochliolepis parasitica Stimpson, 1858
Family Tornidae
Macromphalina sp.
Family Modulidae
Modulus modulus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Modulus carchedonius (Lamarck, 1822)
Family Cerithiidae
Bittium varium (Pfeiﬀer, 1840)
Family Litiopidae
Alaba incerta (Orbigny, 1842)
Family Diastomatidae
Finela dubia (Orbigny, 1842)
Family Fossaridae
Fossarus orbignyi Fischer, 1854
Family Turritellidae
Turritella exoleta (Linnaeus, 1758)

RAP SITE RECORDS
6, 38
7, 33, 34, 35
1, 2, 6, 19, 22, J3, 34, 35, 43, 42
1, 2, 6, 5, 7, 11, 17, 20, 22, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39
1
33, 34, 35
34, 3519, 33, 35
1, 19, 33, 35
1, 7, 9, 34, 35
1, 2, 6, 12, 19, 33, 35, 36, 43
5
11, 356, 43
7, 19, 33, 43
6
34
33
2, 6
6
2
22, 33, 43
43
34
33
6, 35
6
6
43
34, 357, 9, 19, 33, 34, 35
23, 33, 43
19, 33
1, 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 13, 22, 35, 36, 37, 39,
40, 43, 44
2, 6, 9, 19, 33, 35, 39
1, 2, 6, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 22, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,
38, 40, 43
7, 33, 35
5, 7, 19, 35, 40

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

129

Appendix 3

SPECIESFamily Vermetidae
Dendropoma irregulare (Orbigny, 1842)
Family Strombidae
Strombus pugilis Linnaeus, 1758
Family Capulidae
Capulus incurvatus (Gmelin, 1791)
Family Calyptraeidae
Calyptraea centralis (Conrad, 1841)
Crepidula aculeata (Gmelin, 1791)
Family Triviidae
Trivia suﬀusa (Gray, 1832)
Trivia nix Schilder, 1922
Trivia candidula (Gaskoin, 1836)
Family Naticidae
Natica pusilla Say, 1822
Sinum perspectivum (Say,1831)
Family Cerithiopsidae
Cerithiopsis gemmulosa (C. B. Adams, 1847)
Cerithiopsis greenii (C. B. Adams 1839)
Cerithiopsis latum (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Cerithiopsis emersoni (C. B. Adams, 1838)
Cerithiopsis subulatum Montagu, 1808
Cerithiopsis sp.
Seila adamsi (H. Lea, 1845)
Family Triphoridae
Triphora nigrocincta (C. B. Adams, 1839)
Triphora pulchella (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Triphora aﬀ. melanura (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Triphora ornata (Deshayes, 1823)
Triphora turristhomae (Holten, 1802)
Triphora sp. A
Triphora sp. B
Metaxia exilis (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Family Epitoniidae
Epitonium multistriatum (Say, 1826)
Epitonium angulatum (Say, 1830)
Epitonium novangliae (Couthouy, 1838)
Family Eulimidae
Eulima auricincta Abbott, 1959
Eulima bifasciata (Orbigny, 1842)
Eulima sp.
Melanella arcuata (C.B.Adams, 1850)
Melanella conoidea (Kurtz & Stimpson, 1851)
Melanella sarissa (Watson, 1883)
Melanella conica (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Melanella sp. A
Melanella sp. B
Family Aclididae
Graphis sp.
Henrya sp.
Family Muricidae
Aspella castor Radwin & D’Attilio, 1976

130

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP SITE RECORDS
717, 33, 34, 35
5
35
31
23
31
2, 6, 5, 7, 19, 36, 37, 40, 43, 44
37
1, 9, 31, 33, 38
1, 6, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, 20, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39
1, 4, 5, 7, 12, 15, 20, 31, 35, 36, 38, 39
1, 9
1, 7
1, 7, 11, 15, 35
7
1, 4, 9, 35, 38
1, 5, 7, 9, 15, 39
7, 9
7, 9, 3138
7, 9, 15, 20, 33, 34, 38, 39
31
7, 9, 15, 18, 33, 34, 35
9, 19, 435, 19
43
17, 36, 37, 43
6
35, 432, 7, 19, 33, 35. 43
7, 34, 357352, 33, 34, 43
17, 3434, 2233
35

Molluscs recorded during theAbrolhos RAP survey

SPECIES
Attiliosa striatoides (E.Vokes, 1980)
Chicoreus coltrorum Vokes, 1990
Poirieria oregonia (Bullis, 1964)
Farvatia alveata (Kiener, 1842)
Farvatia germaine (Vokes & D’Attilio, 1980)
Murexiella macgintyi (M. Smith, 1938)
Murexiella glypta (M. Smith, 1938)
Trachipolia turricula (von Maltzan, 1884)
Urosalpinx haneti (Petit, 1856)
Trophon sp.
Family Thaididade
Thais haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767)
Family Coralliophilidae
Coralliophila caribaea Abbott, 1958
Family Buccinidae
Caducifer atlanticus Coelho, Matthews & Cardoso, 1970
Pisania sp. (young form )Antillophos candei (Orbigny, 1842) (?)
Family Columbellidae
Anachis catenata (Sowerby, 1844)
Anachis sparsa (Reeve, 1859)
Anachis obesa (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Cosmioconcha calliglypta (Dall & Stimpson, 1901)
Columbella mercatoria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Zafrona idalina (Duclos, 1840)
Mitrella albovittata Lopes, Coelho & Cardoso, 1965
Mitrella lunata (Say, 1826)
Mitrella sp.
Family Nassariidae
Nassarius albus auct, non Say, 1826
Nassarius scissuratus (Dall, 1889)
Nassarius karinae Usticke, 1971
Family Melongenidae
Pugilina morio (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family Fasciolariidae
Colubraria aﬀ. swifti (Tryon, 1881)
Fusinus brasiliensis (Grabau, 1904)
Family Olividae
Olivella deﬁorei Klappenbach, 1946
Olivella ﬂoralia (Duclos, 1853)
Olivella (Olivina ) sp.
Ancilla dimidiata (Sowerby, 1850)
Family Marginellidae
Eratoidea sp.
Volvarina serrei (Bavay, 1913)
Volvarina albolineata (Orbigny, 1842)
Volvarina aﬀ. albolineata (Orbigny, 1842)
Volvarina aﬀ. roberti (Bavay, 1913)
Volvarina sp. A
Volvarina sp. B
Granula lavalleeana Orbigny, 1842
Granulina ovuliformis (Orbigny, 1841)

RAP SITE RECORDS
7, 37
37
9, 15, 23
59, 35, 40
1, 5, 34, 35, 36
7, 30
1, 20, 36, 39
1
34
14
30
15
4
35
7, 14, 23
4, 5, 7, 9, 18, 20, 38
1, 6, 3, 7, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18, 23, 37, 40, 43
1, 36, 39
1, 14, 19, 23, 38, 39
4, 7
1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 17, 20, 23, 30, 31, 34, 35
1, 6, 5, 7, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, 33, 36, 38, 40, 35, 37, 38
35, 38
1, 5, 7, 14, 15, 19, 20, 33, 36, 38, 40, 43
40
35, 389, 23
23
76, 4, 14, 18, 19, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 43
6, 37
17, 19, 33
5, 7, 38
7, 19, 33, 34, 35, 36, 43
9, 19, 34, 35
34, 35, 39
18, 3440
1, 4, 7, 9, 30, 34, 35, 40
7, 9, 19, 30
7, 22, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36
5, 7, 12, 19, 22, 33, 34, 35, 43

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

131

Appendix 3

SPECIESFamily Mitridae
Mitra nodulosa (Gmelin, 1791)
Family Costellariidae
Vexillum kaicherae Petuch, 1979
Vexillum (Pusia) sp.
Family Conidae
Conus jaspideus Gmelin, 1791
Family Turridae
Cerodrillia thea (Dall, 1883)
Crassispira greeleyi (Dall, 1901)
Crassispira sp.
Pilsbryspira albomaculata (Orbigny, 1842)
Pilsbryspira leucocima (Dall, 1883)
Pilsbryspira aﬀ. sayana (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Pilsbryspira sp.
Pyrgospira tampaensis (Bartsch & Rehder, 1939)
Pyrgospira ostrearum (Stearns, 1872)
Pyrgocythara guarani (Orbigny, 1841)
Pyrgocythra albovitata (C. B. Adams, 1845)
Kurtiziella dorvillae (Reeve, 1845)
Kurtziella aﬀ. rhysa (Watson, 1881)
Kurtiziella sp.
Ithycythara lanceolata (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Mangelia biconica (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Mangelia aﬀ. sagena Dall, 1927
Buchema aﬀ. interpleura (Dall & Simpson, 1901)
Compsodrillia haliostrephis (Dall, 1889)
Splendrillia carolinae (Bartsch, 1934)
Philbertia perparva (Watson, 1881)
Mitrolumnina biblicata (Dall, 1889)
Nannodiella vespuciana (Orbigny, 1842)
Cryoturris citronella (Dall, 1889)
Cryoturris adamsi (E.A.Smith, 1884)
Bellaspira aﬀ. grippi (Dall, 1908)
Family Pyramidellidae
Eulimastoma canaliculata (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Odostomia unidentata (Fleming, 1813)
Chrysallida jadisi Olsson & McGinty, 1958
Fargoa bushiana Bartsch, 1909
Cingulina babylonia (C. B. Adams, 1845)
Cingulina sp.
Miralda havanensis (Pilsbry & Aguayo, 1933)
Miralda sp.
Peristichia agria Dall, 1889
Sayella sp.
Turbonilla atypha Bush, 1900
Turbonilla aﬀ. obsoleta Dall 1892
Turbonilla aﬀ. coomansi Aartsen, 1993
Turbonilla aﬀ. penistoni Bush, 1899
Turbonilla aﬀ. abrupta Bush, 1899
Turbonilla sp A
Turbonilla sp. B

132

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP SITE RECORDS
20, 3938
94, 18, 19, 20, 23, 34, 35, 36, 38
35
23, 301
1
19, 20, 30, 36
40
33
30
7
31, 33, 43
36, 385, 9, 15, 30, 43
1
20
12, 195, 19, 20, 33, 36, 38
33
23, 3831
35, 3843
18
6, 36, 40
5, 19
36
33
4, 9, 19, 33, 34, 35, 4334
6, 9
7, 33, 35
1, 33, 35
22, 35
7, 33, 34, 35
34
34
6, 7, 19, 34, 35
7, 19, 33
36, 432, 35, 43
29, 34, 3536
35

Molluscs recorded during theAbrolhos RAP survey

SPECIES
Turbonilla sp. C
Turbonilla deboeri Jong & Coomans, 1988
Turbonilla arnaldoi Jong & Coomans, 1988
Turbonilla brasiliensis Clessin, 1900
Turbonilla pupoides (Orbigny, 1853)
Turbonilla aﬀ. multicostata C. B. Adams, 1850
Salassiella krumpermanni Jong & Coomans, 1988
Bacteridium bermudensis (Dall & Bartsch, 1911)
Bacteridium resticula (Dall, 1889)
Family Amathinidae
Iselica anomala (C. B. Adams, 1850)
Family Acteonidae
Acteon sp.
Family Cylichnidae
Cylichna verrillii Dall, 1889
Cylichna sp.
Acteocina candei (Orbigny, 1842)
Acteocina lepta Woodring, 1928
Family Bullidae
Bulla striata Bruguìere, 1792
Family Hamineidae
Atys guilding (Sowerby, 1869)
Atys riiseana (Morch, 1875)
Haminoea elegans (Gray, 1825)
Family Retusidae
Volvulella persimilis (Morch, 1875)
Volvulella texasiana Harry, 1967
Volvulella sp.
Family Cavoliniidae
Creseis acicula Rang, 1828
Family Onchidiidae
Onchidella indolens (Gould, 1852)

RAP SITE RECORDS
6, 19, 33, 34, 35, 40, 43
12, 432, 35, 43
35
1, 4, 14, 30, 34, 35, 38
1, 36, 40
1
33, 3433, 34, 35
5, 34
6, 7, 19, 33, 34, 35
6, 43
2, 9, 12, 36
2, 6, 7, 9, 12, 17, 19, 20, 33, 34, 35, 40, 43
38
1, 6, 12, 14, 17, 37, 39, 40, 43
6, 7, 19, 33, 34, 35, 43
7, 9, 12, 33, 34, 35, 43
6
6, 19, 33, 34, 43
18, 44
6
6, 17, 44
32

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

133

Appendix 4
List of polychaetes recorded during
the Abrohlos RAP survey

SPECIESFamily Polynoidae
Harmothoe macginitiei Pettibone, 1955
Lepidonotus caeruleus Kinberg, 1855
Lepidonotus sp.
Family Sigalionidae
Psammolyce ﬁmbriata Hartman, 1939
Sthenelais sp.
Sthenolepis grubei (Treadwell, 1901)
Family Eulepethidae
Grubeulepis ﬁmbriata (Treadwell, 1901)
Family Chrysopetalidae
Chrysopetalum occidentale Johnson, 1897
Pontogenia chrysocoma (Baird, 1865)
Family Amphinomidae
Chloeia viridis Schmarda, 1861
Eurythoe complanata (Pallas, 1766)
Family Phyllodocidae
Anaitides cf. longipes Kinberg, 1866
Anaitides madeirensis Langerhans, 1880
Eumida sp.
Phyllodocidae sp. (juvenile)
Family Hesionidae
Hesionidae gen. sp. A
Hesionidae gen. sp. B
Family Pilargidae
Sigambra grubei Mülller, 1858
Family Syllidae
Exogone dispar
Odontosyllis sp.
Pionosyllis sp.
Typosyllis sp. A
Typosyllis sp. B
Family Nereididae
Ceratocephale oculata Banse, 1977
Ceratonereis mirabilis Kinberg, 1866
Neanthes succinea (Frey & Leuckart, 1847)
Neanthes spp.
Nereis unifasciata (Willey, 1905)

134

Rapid Assessment Program

RAP SITE RECORDS
6, 7, 14, 21
27
27, 41
20, 2136, 4320, 36, 37, 44
6, 40
27
27
33
2, 3, 14, 27, 41, 43
14
27
3
31
21
27
6, 18, 43
14, 3127
21
14, 2027
5, 20, 21, 30, 35, 36, 38, 39
6, 20, 31, 41
6
20, 27, 42, 43
6, 44

Appendix 4

SPECIES
Perinereis ponteni Kinberg, 1866
Family Nepthyidae
Aglaophamus juvenalis (Kinberg, 1866)
Family Glyceridae
Glycera americana Leidy, 1855
Family Onuphidae
Diopatra tridentata Hartman, 1944
Kinbergonuphis fauchaldi Lana, 1991
Family Eunicidae
Eunice sp.
Eunice cf. insularis
Lysidice ninetta Audouin & Milne-Edwards, 1833
Nematonereis schmardae McIntosh, 1885
Palola brasiliensis Zanol, Paiva & Attolini, 2000
Family Lumbrineridae
Eranno sp.
Lumbrineris coccina (Renier, 1804)
Lumbrineris cruzensis Hartman, 1944
Lumbrineris inﬂata Moore, 1911
Lumbrineris tetraura (Schmarda, 1861)
Ninoe brasiliensis Kinberg, 1865
Family Arabellidae
Notocirrus cf. lorum Ehlers, 1897
Family Orbiniidae
Leitoscoloplos robustus (Verril, 1873)
Naineris laevigata (Grube, 1855)
Naineris setosa (Verril, 1900)
Scoloplos (Leodamas) rubra (Webster, 1879)
Scoloplos (Scoloplos) sp.
Scoloplos (Scoloplos) agrestis Nonato & Luna, 1970
Family Paraonidae
Aricidea (Allia) albatrossae (Pettibone, 1957)
Levinsenia gracilis (Tauber, 1879)
Family Spionidae
Laonice cirrata (Sars, 1851)
Paraprionospio pinnata (Ehlers, 1901)
Polydora websteri Hartman, 1843
Prionospio (Minuspio) cirrifera (Wirèn, 1830)
Prionospio cf. steenstrupi Malmgren, 1867
Prionospio sp.
Spiophanes sp.
Family Magelonidae
Magelona posterolongata Bolívar & Lana, 1986
Magelona variolamellata Bolívar & Lana, 1986
Family Poecilochaetidae
Poecilochaetus serpens Allen, 1904
Family Longosomidae
Heterospio longissima Ehlers, 1875
Family Chaetopteridae
Chaetopterus variopedatus (Renier, 1804)
Family Cirratulidae

Molluscs recorded during theAbrolhos RAP survey

RAP SITE RECORDS2, 126, 37, 40, 43, 44
1
5, 20
1, 12, 19, 39
6, 20
3, 20
43
21
27, 41
12, 2140
1, 21, 30
27, 41
1, 2, 6, 14, 19, 21, 38, 43, 44
1, 14
31
18, 1420
6
2, 12, 19, 21, 36
30, 437, 18, 37, 38
21, 30, 35, 43
21
1, 6, 7, 14, 21, 39
6, 40
21
43
1, 21, 35, 37
6, 12
19
44
2, 15, 43
1, 14, 43
35
13, 44Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

135

Appendix 3

SPECIES
Chaetozone sp.
Tharyx sp.
Family Flabelligeridae
Piromis roberti (Hartman, 1851)
Therochaeta sp.
Family Cossuridae
Cossura cf. soyeri Laubier, 1964
Family Opheliidae
Armandia maculata (Webster, 1884)
Family Sternaspidae
Sternaspis capillata Nonato, 1966
Family Capitellidae
Dasybranchus cf. caducus (Grube, 1843)
Neopseudocapitella brasiliensis Rullier & Amoureux, 1979
Family Maldanidae
Asychis cf. elongatus (Verril, 1873)
Euclymene sp.
Family Oweniidae
Owenia fusiformis delle Chiaje, 1841
Family Pectinariidae
Pectinaria cf. gouldii (Verril, 1873)
Family Ampharetidae
Amphicteis scaphobranchiata Moore, 1906
Isolda pulchella Muller, 1858
Family Terebellidae
Amaena cf. acraensis (Augener, 1918)
Eupolymnia sp.
Lysilla cf. pambanensis Fauvel, 1928
Neoamphritite sp.
Pista brevibranchiata Caullery, 1915
Pista sp.
Thelepus cincinnatus (Fabricius, 1780)
Family Trichobranchidae
Terebellides anguicomus Müller, 1858
Family Sabellidae
Megalomma bioculatum (Ehlers, 1887)
Family Serpulidae
Spirobranchus giganteus (Pallas, 1766)

136

Rapid Assessment Program

List of polychaetes recorded
during the RAP surve

RAP SITE RECORDS
6, 21, 37, 43
19
14, 21, 22, 36-40, 45
14, 3635
4, 12, 1435
38
1, 6, 21, 31, 37
5, 14
30, 36, 38
5, 6, 7, 36, 39
1, 6, 14, 15
21, 35
1, 2, 6
14
35
30
20
5
43
6
4, 6, 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 23, 30, 35-40
364

Appendix 5
List of crustacean species previously
recorded from the Abrolhos region(including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general
distribution

Legends: AL, Alagoas State; AP, Amapá State; BA, Bahia State; CE, Ceará State; ES, Espírito Santo State; MA, Maranhão State; PA,
Pará State; PE, Pernambuco State; PB, Paraíba State; PI, Piauí State; PR, Paraná State; RJ, Rio de Janeiro State; RN, Rio Grande doNorte State; RS, Rio Grande do Sul State; SC, Santa Catarina State; SE, Sergipe State; SP, São Paulo State.
TAXON

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

In coastal and neritic systems; euryhaline,
eurythermic and thermophilic species

PE to RS

Atlantic and South Paciﬁc

In tropical and subtropical areas

PA to RS

Atlantic and Indian

MA to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

RN to RSRN to RS

Atlantic
Atlantic and Paciﬁc

PA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

RN to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

RN to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

PA to RS
PA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic and Paciﬁc

PA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

PA to RSSouthwestern Atlantic

PA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

PB to RS

Atlantic

Class BRANCHIOPODA
Order Ctenopoda
Family Sididae
Penilia avirostris Dana, 1849
Order Onychopoda
Family Polyphemidae
Pseudevadne tergestina (Claus, 1862)
Class MAXILLOPODA
Subclass COPEPODA
Order Calanoida
Family Calanidae
Nannocalanus minor (Claus, 1863)
Neocalanus gracilis (Dana, 1849)
Neocalanus robustior Giesbrecht, 1888
Undinula vulgaris Dana, 1849

Common in tropical and subtropical, oceanic
watersTropical and subtropical waters
Tropical waters
Common in warm waters of continental
shelves and the Brazilian current

Family Eucalanidae
Eucalanus pileatus Giesbrecht, 1888
Eucalanus sewelli Fleminger, 1973
Eucalanus subcrassus Giesbrecht, 1888
Rhincalanus cornutus (Dana, 1849)
Family Paracalanidae
Paracalanus aculeatus Giesbrecht, 1888
Paracalanus crassirostris F. Dahl, 1894
Paracalanus parvus (Claus, 1863)
Paracalanus quasimodo Bowman, 1971

Coastal and continental shelf, tropical andsubtropical waters
Tropical and subtropical, eutrophic waters,
subtropical convergence, and oceanic
Warm, neritic waters
Warm tropical, oceanic waters, epiplanktonic
Warm, continental shelf and oceanic waters
Coastal, in estuarine and mangrove, brackish
waters
Subtropical and temperate, coastal and continental shelf waters
Neritic and coastal waters, thermophilic, epiplanktonic

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

137

Appendix 5

TAXON
Acrocalanus longicornis Giesbrecht, 1888
Family Calocalanidae
Calocalanus contractus Farran, 1926
Calocalanus pavo (Dana, 1849)
Ischnocalanus plumulosus (Claus, 1863)

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Warm, neritic and oceanic waters

MA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Tropical, subtropical, and transitional waters
Tropical and subtropical, oceanic waters
Tropical and subtropical, oceanic and continental shelf waters

SE to SC
MA to RS

Atlantic
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

MA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Tropical and subtropical, oceanic and continental shelf waters

MA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Deep subtropical continental shelf waters
Tropical and subtropical waters

CE to RSMA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters
Surface waters
Tropical and subtropical, surface waters
Deep waters
Tropical and subtropical waters
Tropical and subtropical waters
Tropical and subtropical deep waters
Tropical, subtropical, and sub-antarctic waters
Intermediate antarctic waters in tropical andsubtropical regions
Deep waters in tropical and subtropical regions

BA to RSSE to RSSE to RSSE to SCSE to SPSE to SCSE to RSBA to SC

Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic and South Paciﬁc
Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

BA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

BA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and IndianWarm continental shelf and oceanic waters

MA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Tropical and temperate waters

SE to SC

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Subtropical waters
Oceanic, tropical, and subtropical waters
Tropical, subtropical, and intermediate antarctic waters
Deep temperate and polar waters
Tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters
Deep and intermediate, subantarctic and antarctic waters
Tropical and subtropical waters

SE to SCSE to SC

Atlantic
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

SE to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

BA
SE to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic and Paciﬁc

SE to BA

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

MA to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

Tropical coastal, and continental shelf waters
Tropical, subtropical, and temperate, coastal
and continental shelf waters
Tropical waters

PA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

PE to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

SE to SC

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Bathypelagic and abyssal

BA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Tropical and subtropical waters

RN to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Oceanic, tropical to antarctic waters
Tropical and subtropical waters
Tropical, subtropical, and transitional waters
between subtropical and antarctic waters

BA to RSSE to RS

Atlantic
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

SE to SC

Atlantic and South Paciﬁc

Family Mecynoceridae
Mecynocera clausi J.C. Thompson, 1888
Family Clausocalanidae
Clausocalanus arcuicornis (Dana, 1849)
Clausocalanus furcatus (Brady, 1883)
Family Aetideidae
Aetideus armatus (Boeck, 1872)
Euaetideus acutus (Farran, 1929)
Euaetideus giesbrechti (Cléve, 1904)
Chiridius poppei Giesbrecht, 1892
Gaidius tenuispinus (Sars, 1900)
Gaetanus minor Farran, 1905
Euchirella amoena Giesbrecht, 1888
Euchirella rostrata Claus, 1866
Undeuchaeta major Giesbrecht, 1888
Undeuchaeta plumosa Lubbock, 1856
Family Euchaetidae
Euchaeta marina (Prestrandrea, 1833)
Family Phaennidae
Phaenna spinifera Claus, 1863
Family Scolecithricidae
Lophothrix frontalis Giesbrecht, 1895
Scolecithricella bradyi (Giesbrecht, 1888)
Scolecithricella dentata (Giesbrecht, 1892)
Scaphocalanus brevicornis (Sars, 1903)
Scaphocalanus curtus (Farran, 1926)
Scaphocalanus subbrevicornis (Wolfenden,
1911)
Scolecithrix danae (Lubbock, 1856)
Family Temoridae
Temora stylifera (Dana, 1848)
Temora turbinata (Dana, 1849)
Temoropia mayumbaensis T. Scott, 1894
Family Metridinidae
Metridia princeps Giesbrecht, 1889
Pleuromamma abdominalis (Lubbock,
1856)
Pleuromamma borealis Dahl, 1893
Pleuromamma gracilis Claus, 1863
Pleuromamma piseki Farran, 1929

138

Rapid Assessment ProgramList of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Tropical and subtropical waters

SE to BASouth Atlantic, Paciﬁc, andIndianCentropages veliﬁcatus (Oliveira, 1947)

Tropical and subtropical waters

PA to RS

Centropages violaceus (Claus, 1863)
Family Pseudodiaptomidae
Pseudodiaptomus acutus (Dahl, 1894)
Family Lucicutiidae
Lucicutia clausi Giesbrecht, 1889
Lucicutia ﬂavicornis (Claus, 1863)
Family Heterorhabdidae
Heterorhabdus compactus Sars, 1900

Warm oceanic waters

MA to RSSouth Atlantic and South
PaciﬁcAtlantic and Paciﬁc

Estuarine and in mangroves

PA to RS

BrazilSubtropical oceanic waters
Tropical continental shelf waters

SE to RS
PA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Deep oceanic antarctic waters
Brazil current, subtropical, surface and deep
oceanic waters
Brazil current, subtropical, surface and deep
oceanic waters

BA to RSSouth Atlantic

SE to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

SE to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters

SE to BA

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Temperate waters, epiplanktonic during night

SE to BASouth Atlantic

Warm temperate waters
Tropical, subtropical, and upwelling waters
Oceanic subtropical waters
Subtropical and temperate waters
Deep subtropical waters
Subtropical waters

SE to BASE to SCSE to SCSE to SCBA to SCBA to SC

Atlantic
Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic
Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Tropical and subtropical waters

RN to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Tropical and subtropical waters

MA to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

Tropical and subtropical waters

RN to SC

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Coastal and continental shelf waters
Tropical and subtropical oceanic waters
Eurihaline, coastal waters
Tropical and subtropical oceanic waters
Warm waters
Coastal and continental shelf waters

SE to BA
PA to RS
PA to RSRN to RSBA to SC
RN to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and IndianSouth Atlantic
South Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic and Paciﬁc
South Atlantic

CE to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

PE to SCSouth Atlantic

SE to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

MA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Pleuromamma quadrungulata (Dahl,
1893)
Family Centropagidae

Heterorhabdus papilliger (Claus, 1863)
Heterorhabdus spinifrons (Claus, 1863)
Heterostylites longicornis (Giesbrecht,
1889)
Heterostylites major (Dahl, 1894)
Family Augaptilidae
Augaptilus megalurus Giesbrecht, 1892
Haloptilus acutifrons (Giesbrecht, 1892)
Haloptilus longicornis (Claus, 1863)
Haloptilus mucronatus (Claus, 1863)
Haloptilus ornatus (Giesbrecht, 1892)
Haloptilus spiniceps (Giesbrecht, 1892)
Family Candaciidae
Candacia curta (Dana, 1849)
Candacia pachydactyla(Dana, 1848)
Paracandacia simplex (Giesbrecht, 1892)
Family Pontellidae
Labidocera acuta (Dana, 1849)
Labidocera acutifrons Dana, 1849
Labidocera ﬂuviatilis Dahl, 1894
Pontellopsis brevis (Giesbrecht, 1889)
Pontellina plumata (Dana, 1849)
Calanopia americana Dahl, 1894
Family Acartiidae
Acartia danae Giesbrecht, 1889
Acartia lilljeborgi Giesbrecht, 1892
Acartia longiremis (Lilljeborg, 1853)
Acartia negligens (Dana, 1848)
Order Harpacticoida
Family Clytemnestridae

HABITAT

Tropical and temperate continental shelf andoceanic waters
Coastal and warm estuarine waters
Temperate, continental shelf and oceanic
waters
Subtropical and temperate oceanic waters

Clytemnestra rostrata (Brady, 1883)

Planktonic in coastal and oceanic waters; euryhaline

AP to RSSouth Atlantic, Paciﬁc, andIndianFamily Darcythompsoniidae
Leptocaris mangalis Por, 1983
Family Ectinosomatidae

Benthic in brackish coastal waters; mangroves

SE to SP

Western Atlantic

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

139

Appendix 5

TAXON
Microsetella norvegica (Boeck, 1865)
Microsetella rosea (Dana, 1849)

HABITAT
Planktonic in tropical, temperate, and polar,
pelagic and coastal marine waters
Planktonic in tropical, temperate, and antarctic, pelagic and coastal marine waters

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

RN to SC

Cosmopolitan

RN to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

AP to RS

Cosmopolitan

Family Euterpinidae
Euterpina acutifrons (Dana, 1849)
Family Longipediidae
Longipedia helgolandica Klie, 1949
Family Miraciidae
Distioculus minor (T. Scott, 1894)
Macrosetella gracilis (Dana, 1847)

Planktonic on continental shelf and in brackish coastal waters; euryhaline
Benthic in shallow marine coastal waters
Oceanic, planktonic in tropical and temperatewatersMarine, planktonic, and epibenthic in tropical, temperate, and antarctic waters

BA

Atlantic

BrazilAtlantic and Indian

AP to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

BA to SP

BrazilBA to SP

Western Atlantic

BA to SP

Western Atlantic

PA to RS

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

BA to RSBA to SP

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

PA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

SE to SP

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

PA to SP

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

PA to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

PA to RSSouthern Atlantic

SE to BA

BrazilPA to RS

Atlantic

SE to RS

Atlantic

PA to RS

Cosmopolitan

PA to RSSE to RS

Atlantic
Atlantic

Order Cyclopoida
Family Cyclopidae
Subfamily Halicyclopinae
Halicyclops tageae Lotufo & Rocha, 1993
Neocyclops medius Herbst, 1955
Neocyclops vicinus (Herbst, 1955)

Interstitial water in sandy beaches of coarse
and medium grains
Interstitial water in sandy beaches of coarse
and medium grains
Interstitial water in sandy beaches of coarse
and medium grains

Family Oithonidae
Subfamily Oithoninae
Oithona hebes Giesbrecht, 1891
Oithona oswaldocruzi Oliveira, 1945
Oithona plumifera Baird, 1843
Oithona similis Claus, 1866
Oithona simplex Farran, 1913
Order Poecilostomatoida
Family Corycaeidae
Corycaeus speciosus Dana, 1849
Agetus ﬂaccus (Giesbrecht, 1891)
Agetus limbatus (Brady, 1888)
Agetus typicus Kroyer, 1849

Planktonic in coastal marine waters as well as
mesohaline and polyhaline waters of estuaries
and coastal lagoons
Planktonic in oligohaline and mesohaline
waters of bays, estuaries and coastal lagoons
Planktonic in coastal and oceanic waters; notusually present in brackish waters
Planktonic in cold coastal and oceanic waters
Planktonic in coastal and shelf waters

An epipelagic species
A deeper water species found the epipelagic
down to about 300 m
A deeper water species found the epipelagic
down to about 300 m
An epipelagic species occurring in moderate
numbers below 100 m

Ditrichocorycaeus amazonicus (F. Dahl,
A common species in brackish waters
1894)
Ditrichocorycaeus minimus (F. Dahl, 1894) A coastal species
A typically shallow epipelagic species but reFarranula gracilis (Dana, 1853)
corded sporadically at depths down to 1750 m
Farranula rostrata (Claus, 1863)
An epipelagic species
Onychocorycaeus giesbrechti (F. Dahl,
An abundant coastal and epipelagic species
1894)
Onychocorycaeus latus (Dana, 1849)
Typically found in top 50m
Onychocorycaeus ovalis (Claus, 1863)
A shallow epipelagic species

140

Rapid Assessment ProgramList of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON
Urocorycaeus furcifer (Claus, 1863)
Urocorycaeus lautus (Dana, 1852)
Family Oncaeidae
Oncaea conifera Giesbrecht, 1891
Oncaea dentipes Giesbrecht, 1891
Oncaea media Giesbrecht, 1891
Oncaea minuta Giesbrecht, 1892
Oncaea notopus Giesbrecht, 1891
Oncaea obscura Farran, 1908
Oncaea subtilis Giesbrecht, 1892
Oncaea venusta Philippi, 1843
Conaea rapax Giesbrecht, 1891
Lubbockia squillimana Claus, 1863
Family Sapphirinidae
Copilia mirabilis Dana, 1849
Copilia quadrata Dana, 1849
Copilia vitrea (Haeckel, 1864)
Sapphirina nigromaculata Claus, 1863
Vettoria granulosa Giesbrecht, 1891
Ordem Siphonostomatoida
Family Asterocheridae
Asterocheris abrolhensis Johnsson, 1998
Asterocheris crenulatus Johnsson, 1998
Asterocheris lunatus Johnsson, 1998
Asterocheris spinopaulus Johnsson, 1998
Asterocheris tetrasetosus Johnsson, 1998
Kolocheres angustus Johnsson, 1998
Family Entomolepididae
Spongiopsyllus adventicius Johnsson, 2000
Subclass CIRRIPEDIA
Superorder Rhizocephala
Order Kentrogonida
Family Lernaeodiscidae
Lernaeodiscus porcellanae Müller, 1862
Superorder Thoracica
Order Pedunculata
Suborder Lepadomorpha
Family Oxynaspididae
Oxynaspis hirtae Totton, 1940
Family Lepadidae
Lepas anatifera Linnaeus, 1758
Lepas anserifera Linnaeus, 1767
Lepas hilli (Leach, 1818)
Suborder Scalpellomorpha
Family Lithotryidae
Lithotrya dorsalis (Ellis & Solander, 1786)

HABITATA deeper water species, commonly found at
depths of 100 to 300 m
An epipelagic species

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

PA to RS

BrazilSE to SP

BrazilSE to RSSE to BA
MA to RSRN to SCSE to SPSE to SPSE to RSMA to RSSE to RSBA to RS

Cosmopolitan
BrazilCosmopolitan
BrazilBrazilBrazilAtlantic
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan

PE to RS

Cosmopolitan

PE to RS

Cosmopolitan

SE to SP
RN to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc and IndianBrazilAtlantic, Paciﬁc and IndianParasite of sponges
Parasite of sponges
Parasite of sponges
Parasite of sponges
Parasite of sponges
Parasite of sponges

BA
PE, BAPE, BABABA
PE, BA

BrazilBrazilBrazilBrazilBrazilBrazilParasite of sponges

PE, BA

BrazilParasite of the porcellanid crustaceans Petrolisthes galathinus, P. cabrilloi, and P. armatus

PA to SC

Paciﬁc and AtlanticBA

Western Atlantic

Pelagic
Pelagic

PB to RSPB to RS
BrazilCosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan

Burrowing in calcareous rocks

PB to BA

Western Atlantic

Planktonic
Planktonic
Planktonic
Planktonic
Planktonic
Planktonic
Planktonic
An abudant species in shallow waters
A typically mesopelagic species
Found at epipelagic and mesopelagic depths
Females are abundant in shallow epipelagic
depths but males regularly occur down to
depths of 400 m
A typically epipelagic species reported down
to 500 m
Epipelagic and shallow mesopelagic depths
Common surface to depths of 250 m
An epipelagic species typically found in the
top 100m, sometimes extending down to
300mBlack-coral associate

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

141

Appendix 5

TAXON
Family Scalpellidae
Subfamily Arcoscalpellinae
Weltnerium aduncum (Aurivillius, 1892)
Order Sessilia
Suborder BalanomorphaSuperfamily Chthamaloidea
Family Chthamalidae
Subfamily Euraphiinae
Microeuraphia rizophorae (Oliveira, 1940)
Subfamily Chthamalinae
Chthamalus bisinuatus Pilsbry, 1916
Chthamalus proteus Dando & Southward,
1980
Superfamily Coronuloidea
Family Chelonibiinae
Chelonibia patula (Ranzani, 1818)
Chelonibia testudinaria (Linnaeus, 1757)
Family Platylepadidae
Platylepas decorata Darwin, 1854
Stomatolepas elegans (Costa, 1838)
Superfamily Tetraclitoidea
Family Tetraclitidae
Subfamily Tetraclitinae
Tetraclita stalactifera (Lamarck, 1818)
Superfamily Balanoidea
Family Archaeobalanidae
Subfamily Archaeobalaninae
Chirona amaryllis (Darwin, 1854)
Membranobalanus declivis (Darwin, 1854)
Conopea galeata (Linnaeus, 1771)
Subfamily Acastinae
Acasta cyathus Darwin, 1854
Family Pyrgomatidae
Tribe Pyrgomatini
Subfamily Ceratoconchinae
Ceratoconcha domingensis (Moullins,
1866)
Ceratoconcha ﬂoridana (Pilsbry, 1931)
Ceratoconcha paucicostata Young, 1989
Subfamily Megatrematinae
Megatrema madreporarum (Bosc, 1801)
Family Balanidae
Subfamily Balaninae
Balanus amphitrite Darwin, 1854
Balanus improvisus Darwin, 1854
Balanus reticulatus Utinomi, 1967

HABITAT

Rapid Assessment Program

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Epibiont

BA to RJSouthwestern Atlantic

Intertidal

MA to PR

Western Atlantic

Intertidal, on rocks

PI to RSISouthwestern Atlantic

Intertidal, on rocks

RN to PR

Western Atlantic

On shells with hermit crab and portunids
On turtles

PB to SC
CE to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian
Cosmopolitan

On turtles
On turtlesBA
PB to BA

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian
Cosmopolitan

Intertidal, on rocks

MA to RS

Western Atlantic

Introduced species
In sponges
On gorgonians

PI to BABA
PB to SC

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and IndianWestern Atlantic
Paciﬁc and Atlantic

In sponges

PE to BA

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

On corals

PB to BA

Western Atlantic

On corals
On corals

RN to RJBA

Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic

On corals

PB to BA

Western Atlantic

Intertidal, on rocks
Subtidal, on rocks and shells
Subtidal, on rocks, Introduced species in
BrazilSubtidal, on rocks and shells
Subtidal, on rocks and shells
Intertidal, on rocks and mangrove trees

AP to RS
CE to RS

Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan

PE to BA

Circumtropical

PE to RSAP to RSPB to RS

Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan
Southwestern Atlantic

PB to RJ

Western Atlantic

Balanus venustus Darwin, 1854
Balanus trigonus Darwin, 1854
Fistulobalanus citerosum (Henry, 1974)
Subfamily Megabalaninae Newman, 1979
Megabalanus stultus (Darwin, 1854)
On hydrocorals

142

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZIL

List of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON
Megabalanus tintinnabulum (Linnaeus,
1758)
CLASS MALACOSTRACA
Subclass HOPLOCARIDA
Order Stomatopoda
Suborder Unipeltata
Superfamily Squilloidea
Family Squillidae
Squilla neglecta Gibbes, 1850
Squilla obtusa Holthuis, 1959
Squilla prasinolineata Dana, 1852
Cloridopsis dubia (Milne-Edwards, 1837)
Meiosquilla schmittii (Lemos de Castro,
1955)
Meiosquilla tricarinata (Holthuis, 1941)
Superfamily Lysiosquilloidea
Family Lysiosquillidae
Lysiosquilla glabriuscula (Lamarck, 1818)
Lysiosquilla scabricauda (Lamarck, 1818)
Superfamily Gonodactyloidea
Family Gonodactylidae
Neogonodactylus austrinus (Manning,
1969)
Neogonodactylus bredini (Manning, 1969)
Neogonodactylus lacunatus (Manning,
1966)
Neogonodactylus minutus (Manning, 1969)
Neogonodactylus oerstedii (Hansen, 1895)
Neogonodactylus spinulosus (Schmitt,
1924)
Neogonodactylus torus (Manning, 1969)
Family Eurysquillidae
Eurysquilla plumata (Bigelow, 1901)
Family Odontodactylidae
Odontodactylus brevirostris (Miers, 1884)
Family Pseudosquillidae
Pseudosquilla ciliata (Fabricius, 1787)
Pseudosquilla oculata (Brullé, 1836-44)
Subclass EUCARIDA
Order Euphausiacea
Family Euphausiidae
Thysanopoda aequalis Hansen, 1905
Thysanopoda obtusifrons G.O. Sars, 1883
Euphausia americana Hansen, 1911
Euphausia brevis Hansen, 1905

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Intertidal, on rocks

PI to RS

Cosmopolitan

In sand bottoms, 15 to 55 m

CE to RS

Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 35 to 60 m

PI to BA

Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 35 to 75 m

PA to SC

Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 10 to 15 m

PA to SC

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 3 to 100 m

AP to RJ

Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 10 to 45 m

PE to BA

Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 10 to 50 m
In sand bottoms, 50 to 200 m

CE to SPPI to SC

Atlantic
Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 2 to 130 m

MA to ESAtlantic

In coral reefs, 2 to 50 m

MA to RJ

Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 2 to 80 m

MA to RJ

Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 12 to 95 m
In coral reefs, 2 to 120 m

CE to RJ
AP to SP

Brazil
Paciﬁc and Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 20 to 130 m

CE to ES

Western Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 2 to 125 m

AP to BA

Western Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 30 to 60 m

BA

Western Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 25 to 140 m

PA to RJ

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

In sand bottoms, 5 to 10 m
In sand bottoms, 5 to 10 m

AP to SP
RN to ES

Paciﬁc and Atlantic
Paciﬁc and Atlantic

SE to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

SE to RS

Atlantic and Indian

RN to RS

Atlantic

AL to RS

Cosmopolitan

Oceanic, epipelagic species, in subtropical andtropical zones
Oceanic, epipelagic species, in subtropical andtropical zones
In continental shelf and oceanic waters, epipelagic species, in tropical zones
Oceanic, epipelagic species, in tropical andsubtropical zones

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

143

Appendix 5

TAXON
Euphausia gibboides Ortmann, 1893
Euphausia hemigibba Hansen, 1910
Euphausia tenera Hansen, 1905
Nematoscelis tenella G.O. Sars, 1883
Stylocheiron abbreviatum G.O. Sars, 1883
Stylocheiron aﬃne Hansen, 1910
Stylocheiron carinatum G.O. Sars, 1883
Stylocheiron longicorne G.O. Sars, 1883
Stylocheiron suhmii G.O. Sars, 1883

HABITAT
Oceanic, epipelagic species, in tropical andsubtropical zones
Oceanic, epipelagic species, in subtropicalzones
In oceanic waters, epipelagic species, in tropical areas
In oceanic waters, mesopelagic species, intropical and subtropical areas
In oceanic waters, epipelagic species, in tropical and subtropical areas
In continetal shelves and oceanic waters,
epipelagic species, in tropical and subtropicalareas
In oceanic waters, epipelagic species, in tropical and subtropical areas
In continental shelf and oceanic waters, epipelagic species, in tropical and subtropical areas
In oceanic waters, epipelagic species, in tropical and subtropical areas

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

AL to RS

Cosmopolitan

SE to RS

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

RN to RS

Cosmopolitan

SE to RS

Cosmopolitan

SE to RS

Cosmopolitan

SE to RS

Cosmopolitan

SE to RS

Cosmopolitan

PA to RS

Cosmopolitan

PA to RS

Cosmopolitan

AP to ES

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to SC

Western Atlantic

AP to SC

Western Atlantic

AP to BA

Western Atlantic

AP to SC

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

MA to SP

Western Atlantic

PA to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Atlantic

Suborder Dendrobranchiata
Superfamily Penaeoidea
Family Penaeidae
Metapenaeopsis goodei (Smith, 1885)
Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille,
1817)
Farfantepenaeus subtilis (Pérez Farfante,
1967)
Litopenaeus schmitti (Burkenroad, 1936)
Trachypenaeus constrictus (Stimpson,
1871)
Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862)

Oceanic species, shallow waters to 75 meters
deep
Juveniles living in estuarine waters; occurring
to depth of 360 meters, but more frequently
at depths less than 60 meters
Juveniles living in estuarine waters; occurring
to depth of 190 meters, but more frequently
at depths less than 75 meters
Juveniles living in estuarine waters; occurring
to 50 meters deep
Oceanic species, demersal, occurring to 130
meters deep
Oceanic species, demersal, occurring to 70
meters depth, but more frequently at depthsof 30 meters

Family Sicyoniidae
Sicyonia burkenroadi Cobb, 1971

Sicyonia dorsalis Kingsley, 1878

Sicyonia laevigata Stimpson, 1871

Sicyonia parri (Burkenroad, 1934)
Sicyonia typica (Boeck, 1864)

Oceanic species, demersal, occurring between
20 and 585 meters deep, but more frequently
at depths between 33 and 118 meters
Oceanic species, demersal, occurring between
3 and 420 meters deep, but more frequently at
depths less than 80 meters
Oceanic species, demersal, occurring to depthof 100 meters, but more frequently at depthof 50 meters
Oceanic species, demersal, occurring to depthof 90 meters, but more frequently at depth of
50 meters
Oceanic species, demersal, occurring to depthof 101 meters

Superfamily Sergestoidea
Family Luciferidae
Lucifer faxoni Borradaile, 1915

144

Rapid Assessment Program

Coastal species, pelagic, planktonic, occurring
to depth of 55 meters. Also occursin estuaries

List of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Lucifer typus H. Milne-Edwards, 1837
Family Sergestidae
Acetes americanus americanus Ortmann,
1893
Infraorder Stenopodidea
Family Spongicolidae
Microprosthema semilaeve (von Martens,
1872)
Family Stenopodidae

Tropical oceanic species, pelagic, planktonic

AP to RS

Atlantic, Indian, and Paciﬁc

Coastal species, pelagic, occurs to depth of 40
metersPA to RS

Western Atlantic

In shallow waters, on rocks covered by algae

PE to BA

Western Atlantic

Usually in shallow waters to depth of 210
meters, on rocky shores and gravel bottoms;
cave-dwelling ﬁsh cleaner species

CE to ESAtlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

In marine waters, between the spines of thesea urchin Tripneustes ventricosus

BA

Western Atlantic

AP to ES

Cosmopolitan

MA to SP

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

MA to BA

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

CE to SC

Western Atlantic

PA to BA

Western AtlanticBA

Western Atlantic

CE to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

BA to PR

Western Atlantic

In shallow marine waters

PE to BA

BrazilIn shallow marine waters

RN to RJ

Western Atlantic

In shallow marine waters

PB to SP

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

In shallow marine waters

PA to ES

Western Atlantic

In shallow marine waters
In shallow marine waters

PE to BAPI to RS

Atlantic
Atlantic

Among algae

PE to SC

Western Atlantic

Stenopus hispidus (Olivier, 1811)
Infraorder Caridea
Superfamily Palaemonoidea
Family Gnathophyllidae
Gnathophylloides mineri Schmitt, 1933
Family Palaemonidae

In marine waters, found from shallow waters
Brachycarpus biunguiculatus (Lucas, 1849) to depth of 105 meters, on sand and gravelbottoms
In shallow marine waters,, on sand bottoms
Leander paulensis Ortmann, 1897
with algae
In shallow marine waters to depth of 72 meLeander tenuicornis (Say, 1818)
ters, on sand and gravel bottoms with algae
Nematopalaemon schmitti (Holthuis,
In shallow marine watersto depth of 60 me1950)
ters, on mud, sand-mud and gravel bottoms
In shallow marine waters, on sand and rock
Palaemon northropi (Rankin, 1898)
bottoms
Periclimenes longicaudatus (Stimpson,
In shallow marine waters
1860)
Periclimenes yucatanicus (Ives, 1891)
In shallow marine waters
Superfamily Crangonoidea
Family Lysmatidae
Lysmata wurdemanni (Gibbes, 1850)
Benthic associatedExhippolysmata oplophoroides (Holthuis,
Among algae
1948)
Family Processidae
Processa bermudensis (Rankin, 1900)
In shallow marine waters
Processa brasiliensis Christoﬀersen, 1979
Processa ﬁmbriata Manning & Chace,
1971
Superfamily Alpheoidea
Family Thoridae
Thor manningi Chace, 1972
Family Hippolytidae
Subfamily Latreutinae
Trachycaris restricta (A. Milne Edwards,
1878)
Latreutes fucorum (Fabricius, 1798 )Latreutes parvulus (Stimpson, 1866)
Subfamily Hippolytinae
Hippolyte curacaoensis Schmitt, 1924

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

145

Appendix 5

TAXON
Family Alpheidae
Alpheus amblyonyx Chace, 1972
Alpheus armillatus H Milne Edwards,
1837
Alpheus bouvieri A. Milne Edwards, 1878
Alpheus cylindricus Kingsley, 1878
Alpheus ﬂoridanus Kingsley, 1878
Alpheus formosus Gibbes, 1850
Alpheus intrinsecus Bate, 1888
Alpheus normanni Kingsley, 1878
Synalpheus brevicarpus (Herrick, 1891)
Synalpheus brooksi Coutière, 1909
Synalpheus fritzmuelleri Coutière, 1909
Synalpheus hemphilli Coutière, 1909
Synalpheus longicarpus (Herrick, 1891)
Synalpheus minus (Say, 1818)
Synalpheus sanctithomae Coutière, 1909
Synalpheus townsendi Coutière, 1909
Infraorder Thalassinidea
Superfamily Thalassinoidea
Family Axiidae
Axiopsis serratifrons (A. Milne-Edwards,
1873)
Family Callianassidae
Callichirus major (Say, 1818)
Lepidophthalmus siriboia Felder & Rodrigues, 1993
Neocallichirus branneri (Rathbun, 1900)
Sergio guassutinga (Rodrigues, 1971)
Sergio mirim (Rodrigues, 1971)
Family Laomediidae
Axiannassa australis Rodrigues & Shimizu,
1992
Family Upogebiidae
Pomatogebia operculata (Schmitt, 1924)
Upogebia brasiliensis Holthuis, 1956
Upogebia omissa Gomes Corrêa, 1968
Infraorder Palinuridea
Superfamily Palinuroidea
Family Scyllaridae
Subfamily Scyllarinae
Scyllarides brasiliensis Rathbun, 1906
Scyllarus chacei Holthuis, 1960
Family Palinuridae
Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804)
Panulirus echinatus Smith, 1869
Family Porcellanidae
Megalobrachium mortenseni Haig, 1962
Megalobrachium roseum (Rathbun, 1990)
Megalobrachium soriatum (Say, 1818)

146

Rapid Assessment Program

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Benthic, in rock crevices

PB to ES

Western Atlantic

Benthic, in rock crevices

CE to SC

Western Atlantic

Benthic, in rock crevices
Benthic, in rock crevices
Benthic, in rock crevices
Benthic, in rock crevices
Benthic, in rock crevices
Benthic, in rock crevices
Associated with corals, sponges and algae
Associated with corals, sponges and algae
Associated with corals, sponges and algae
Associated with corals, sponges and algae
Associated with corals, sponges and algae
Associated with corals, sponges and algae
Associated with corals, sponges and algae
Associated with corals, sponges and algae

CE to RSMA to BAPE to RS
CE to SPPI to SC
AP to SPPE to RSAP to BA
RN to SCBAPB to RJPB to SPPE to BAPB to RJ

Paciﬁc and Atlantic
Atlantic
Paciﬁc and Atlantic
Western Atlantic
Atlantic
Paciﬁc and Atlantic
Paciﬁc and Atlantic
Western Atlantic
Paciﬁc and Atlantic
Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic

Benthic, burrowing in sand bottoms

PB to BA

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

Benthic, burrowing in sand bottoms

SE to SC

Western Atlantic

Benthic, burrowing in sand bottoms

PA to BA

BrazilBenthic, burrowing in sand bottoms
Benthic, burrowing in sand bottoms
Benthic, burrowing in sand bottoms

CE to BAPE to SPBA to RS

Western Atlantic
BrazilSouthwestern Atlantic

Benthic, burrowing in sand bottoms

BA to SP

BrazilBenthic, burrowing in calcareous rocks
Benthic, under stones
Benthic, under stones

CE to ESMA to SC
MA to SC

Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic

CE to BA

Western Atlantic

PA to BA

Western Atlantic

On sand, gravel, and rock bottoms
On rock bottoms, in shallow waters

PA to SP
CE to RJ

Western Atlantic
Atlantic

Coastal region, under rocks
On coral reefs and under rocks in intertidalzone
On coral reefs, in sponges and calcareous algae

PA to SP

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

MA to SP

Western Atlantic

CE to SP

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

On sand, gravel, and rock bottoms of continental shelf
On sand, gravel, and rock bottoms of continental shelf

List of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON
Minyocerus angustus (Dana, 1852)
Pachycheles ackleianus A. Milne-Edwards,
1880
Pachycheles greeleyi (Rathbun, 1900)
Pachycheles haigae Rodrigues-da-Costa,
1960
Pachycheles monilifer (Dana, 1852)
Petrolisthes amoenus (Guérin-Meneville,
1855)
Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes, 1850)
Petrolisthes galathinus (Bosc, 1801-1802)
Petrolisthes rosariensis Werding, 1978
Pisidia brasiliensis Haig, 1968
Polyonyx gibbesi Haig, 1956

Porcellana sayana (Leach, 1820)

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZIL

On echinoderms occurring on sand bottoms
in intertidal zone

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

On coral reefs, in sponges and calcareous algae

PA to BA

Western Atlantic

In intertidal zone, under rocks
In intertidal zone, under rocks, on algae andmussel beds
In intertidal zone, under rocks

PA to ES

Western Atlantic

PE to RS

Brazil

RN to SC

Western Atlantic

On coral reefs, in calcareous algae and sponges

MA to BA

Western Atlantic

MA to SC

Western Atlantic

PA to RS

Western Atlantic

PB to BA

Western Atlantic

PA to SP

Western Atlantic

CE to RS

Western Atlantic

AM to RS

Western Atlantic

In intertidal zone, under rocks, anthozoans,sponges, and mussel and oyster beds
In intertidal zone, under rocks, corals, sponges, zoanthids, Rhizophora, and Avicenia roots
On coral reefs and calcareous algae, rarely
under rocks
On sand bottoms, under rocks
Under rocks, in thin sandy and mud bottoms,
up to 15 meters deep Usually is found in
Chaetopterus variopedalis tubes
In intertidal zone, mud, shell and sand bottoms; commensal of hermit crabs and of thegastropod Strombus gigas of continental shelf

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Superfamily Hippoidea
Family Albuneidae
Albunea paretii Guérin-Menéville, 1853
Lepidopa richmondi Benedict, 1903
Lepidopa venusta Benedict, 1903
Family Hippidae
Emerita portoricensis Schmitt, 1935
Hippa testudinaria Herbst, 1791
Superfamily Paguroidea
Family Paguridae
Pagurus brevidactylus (Stimpson, 1859)
Pagurus criniticornis (Dana, 1852)
Pagurus leptonyx Forest & de Saint Laurent, 1967
Pagurus provenzanoi Forest & de Saint
Laurent, 1967
Phimochirus holthuisi (Provenzano, 1961)
Nematopaguroides fagei Forest & de Saint
Laurent, 1967
Iridopagurus violaceus de Saint Laurent,
1966
Superfamily Coenobitoidea
Family Diogenidae
Paguristes calliopsis Forest & de Saint Laurent, 1967

In sand and mud bottoms, between 0 and
100m
In sand and mud bottoms, between 0 and 8m
In sand and mud bottoms, between 0 and
30m

AP to RS

Atlantic

RN to RS

Western Atlantic

BA to RS

Western Atlantic

In sand bottoms, intertidal
In sand bottoms, intertidal

MA to BA
CE to RJ

Western Atlantic
Atlantic

PE to SP

Western Atlantic

PE to RS

Western Atlantic

CE to SC

Western Atlantic

PE to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to BA

Western Atlantic

PE to BA

Western Atlantic

PA to BA

Western AtlanticBA

Western Atlantic

Tropical, protected low intertidal zone, todepth of 50m, not in ooze zones
Tropical, coastal zones, shallow waters to
depth of 50m, on mud and sand bottoms.
Usually parasitized by Rhizocephalans
Tropical, coastal ooze zones, 1 to 20m. Usuallyparasitized by Rhizocephalans
Tropical, in coastal regions, occuring between
5 and 100m, on diﬀerent substrates (mud torocks)
Tropical, littoral, 1 to 210m
Tropical, littoral, between 17 and 39m, on
calcareous algae, coral, rock, and mud bottoms
Tropical, littoral, between 29 and 75m, on
calcareous algae, coral, rock, and sand bottoms

Littoral, 17 to 60m, on sand, mud, and shellbottoms

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

147

Appendix 5

TAXON

HABITAT

Tropical, littoral, 1 to 53m, on sand, mud,calcareous algae, coral, shell, and rock bottoms
Littoral, intertidal zone to depth of 94m, on
Paguristes tortugae Schmitt, 1933
sand, mud, rock, and algae bottoms
Paguristes triangulopsis Forest & de Saint
Littoral, 35 to 63m, on sand, mud, and shell
Laurent, 1967
bottoms
Littoral, 0 to 100m, on rock, shell, calcareous
Dardanus venosus H Milne Edwards, 1848
algae, algae, coral, sand, and mud bottoms
Littoral, 37 to 366m, on sand, mud, and shellbottoms. Males were found associated with
Cancellus ornatus Benedict, 1901
siliceous sponges, and females on calcareous
rocks
Littoral, intertidal to 6m, on mud and rockClibanarius antillensis Stimpson, 1859
bottoms, reefs, and estuarine zones
Intertidal, on sand bottoms near reefs andClibanarius sclopetarius (Herbst, 1796)
estuarine zones
Littoral, intertidal to depth of 22m, on sandClibanarius vittatus (Bosc, 1802)
and algae bottoms, reefs, and estuarine zones
Littoral, intertidal to depth of 30m, in beaches
Calcinus tibicen (Herbst, 1791)
and reefs
Isocheles sawayai Forest & de Saint LauLittoral, 1 to 20m, on sand bottoms, near therent, 1967
beach
Loxopagurus loxochelis (Moreira, 1901)
Littoral, 8 to 30m, on sand and mud bottoms
Littoral, 0 to 128m, on sand, mud, shell, rock,
Petrochirus diogenes (Linné, 1758)
and calcareous algae bottoms
Infraorder Brachyura
Section Dromiacea
Superfamily Dromioidea
Family Dromiidae
Cryptodromiopsis antillensis (Stimpson,On rock bottoms, intertidal zone to 330m,
1858)
with sponges and ascidians on its carapace
On rock bottoms, shallow waters to depth ofDromia erythropus (G Edwards, 1771)
360m; usually with sponges and ascidians on
its carapace
On sand and mud bottoms, 1 to 80m, associHypoconcha arcuata Stimpson, 1858
ated with bivalves and sponges carried on its
carapace
On sand, shell, coral, and mud bottoms, 4Hypoconha parasitica (Linnaeus, 1763)
to 90m, associated with bivalves and sponges
carried on its carapace
Superfamily Homoloidea
Section Oxystomata
Superfamily Dorippoidea
Family Dorippidae
Ethusa americana A. Milne Edwards,
On bottoms composed of algae and bryozo1880
ans, shallow waters to 90m

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

MA to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

SE to BA

Western Atlantic

PA to BA

Western Atlantic

PE to BA

Western Atlantic

CE to SC

Western Atlantic

CE to SC

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

CE to SP

Western Atlantic

CE to SC

Western Atlantic

BA to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

MA to RS

Western Atlantic

CE to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

MA to RJ

Western Atlantic

On sand, mud, and calcareous algae bottoms,
20 to 110m

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

On coral, shell, rock, sand, and calcareous
algae bottoms, intertidal to 220m

AL to RS

Atlantic; Indian and Paciﬁc

Paguristes erythrops Holthuis, 1959

Superfamily Raninoidea
Family Raninidae
Symesthis variolosa (Fabricius, 1793)
Superfamily Calappoidea
Family Calappidae
Calappa gallus (Herbst, 1803)

148

Rapid Assessment ProgramList of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON
Calappa nitida Holthuis, 1958
Calappa ocellata Holthuis, 1958
Calappa sulcata Rathbun, 1898
Hepatus pudibundos (Herbst, 1785)
Cycloes bairdii Stimpson, 1860

HABITATOn coral and mud-sand bottoms, shallow
waters to 70m
On mud, sand, gravel, and rock bottoms, shallow waters to 80m
On sand, mud, and calcareous algae bottoms,
shallow waters to 200m
On mud, sand, and shell bottoms, shallow
waters to 160m, with barnacles attached to thecarapace
On mud, sand, coral, and gravel bottoms,
infralittoral to 230m

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

AP to BA

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western Atlantic

AP to PR

Western Atlantic

MA to RS

Atlantic

AP to RJ

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

PA to SP

BrazilAP to ES

BrazilPA to BA

Brazil

MA to BA

Western Atlantic

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

On mud and mud-sand bottoms, 33 to 130m
On calcareous algae, occasionally sand andmud-sand bottoms, 23 to 90m
On calcareous algae and sand bottom, 2781m

PA to BA

Western Atlantic

PA to ES

Western Atlantic

AP to AL

Western Atlantic

On rocks and sand bottoms, intertidal to 25m

PI to BA

Western Atlantic

On calcareous algae bottoms, 20 to 60m

MA to ES

Western Atlantic

On algae bottoms, shallow waters

CE to SP

Western Atlantic

MA to RJ

Western Atlantic

PA to SP

Western Atlantic

MA to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western Atlantic

PA to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western Atlantic

Family Leucosiidae
Subfamily Ebaliinae
Ebalia stimpsoni A. Milne Edwards, 1880
Lithadia brasiliensis (von Martens, 1872)
Lithadia conica (Coelho, 1973)
Lithadia vertiginosa (Coelho, 1973)
Speloeophorus elevatus Rathbun, 1898

Usually on sand, sometimes on calcareous
algae bottoms, 13 to 83m
On mud, sand, and gravel bottoms, 7 to 40m
On sand and organic, occasionally on calcareous algae bottoms, 32 to 150m
On calcareous algae, sometimes organic bottoms, 18 to 90m
On gravel, sometimes sand bottoms, 20 to83m

Subfamily Illiinae
Persephona lichtensteinii Leach, 1817
Persephona punctata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subfamily Leucosiinae
Iliacantha liodactylus Rathbun, 1898
Iliacantha sparsa Stimpson, 1871
Callidactylus asper Stimpson, 1871
Section Oxyrhyncha
Family Majidae
Acanthonyx dissimulatus Coelho,
1991/1993
Epialtoides rostratus Coelho, 1972
Epialtus bituberculatus H Milne Edwards,
1834

On mud and sand bottoms, shallow waters
to 75mOn mud and sand, occasionally gravel bottoms, shallow waters to 41m

On calcareous algae, occasionally sand bottoms, 20 to 130m
Aepinus septemspinosus (A. Milne Edwards, On coral, rock, and calcareous algae bottoms,
1879)
10 to 85m
On sand and calcareous algae bottoms, 24 to
Podochela algicola Stebbing, 1914
90m
On sand, gravel, shell, coral, and rock botPodochela gracilipes Stimpson, 1871
toms, intertidal to 220m
On rock, coral, calcareous algae, sand, andStenorhynchus seticornis (Herbst, 1788)
shell bottoms, shallow waters to great depths
Anasimus fugax A. Milne Edwards, 1880
On sand and shell bottoms, 60 to 200m
On detritus, sand, and calcareous algae botBatrachonotus brasiliensis Rathbun, 1894
toms, 12 to 73m
On calcareous algae and sand bottoms, shalCollodes inermis A. Milne Edwards, 1878
low waters to 40m
Mocosoa crebripunctata Stimpson, 1871

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

149

Appendix 5

TAXON
Euprognatha acuta A. Milne Edwards,
1880
Euprognatha gracilipes A. Milne Edwards,
1878

HABITATOn sand, coral, and shell bottoms, 15 to750m
On sand, shell, coral, and calcareous algae bottoms, 70 to 370m
On gravel and coral bottoms, shallow waters
Inachoides forceps A. Milne Edwards, 1879
to 70mParadasygyius tuberculatus (Lemos de Cas- On sand and mud bottoms, shallow waters
tro, 1949)
to 40m
On sand, rock, and coral bottoms and in
Hemus cristulipes A. Milne Edwards, 1875
sponges, 15 to 70m
On shell, mud, and algae bottoms, intertidal
Leptopisa setirostris (Stimpson, 18710
to 80m
On calcareous algae and shell bottoms, shalMacrocoeloma concavum Miers, 1886
low waters to 40m
Macrocoeloma eutheca (Stimpson, 1871)
On sand and reef bottoms, 30 to 215m
Macrocoeloma septemspinosum (Stimpson, On sand, shell, coral, and calcareous algae
1871)
bottoms, shallow waters to 210m
Macrocoeloma subparallelum (Stimpson,On sand and coral reef bottoms, intertidal to
1860)
25m
Macrocoeloma trispinosum (Latreille, 1825) On sand and shell bottoms, shallow waters
On sand, mud, coral, shell, and algae bottoms,
Microphrys antillensis Rathbun, 1920
shallow waters to 40m
Microphrys bicornutus (Latreille, 1825)
On all bottoms, intertidal to 70m
Microphrys garthi (Lemos de Castro,
Between rocks and barnacle shells, intertidal
1953)
to 10m
On sand, shell, and mud bottoms, and in rock
Mithraculus coryphe (Herbst, 1801)
burrows, intertidal to 60m
Mithraculus forceps (A. Milne Edwards,
On rock bottoms, intertidal to 90m
1875)
On sand, mud, shell bottoms, and coral reefs,
Mithraculus sculptus (Lamarck, 1818)shallow waters to 60m
Mithrax braziliensis Rathbun, 1892
On reef bottoms, shallow waters to 8m
Mithrax caribbaeus Rathbun, 1920
On jetties, intertidal to 25m
On reef and calcareous algae bottoms, under
Mithrax hemphilli Rathbun, 1892
rocks, or between algae, intertidal to 60m
On sand, shell, and rock bottoms, shallow
Mithrax hispidus (Herbst, 1790)
waters to 65m
On sand, mud, shell, and rock bottoms, 10
Nemausa acuticornis (Stimpson, 1870)
to 100m
On sand, coral, and shell bottoms, shallow
Nemausa cornutus (Saussure, 1857)
waters to 1070m
On sand, coral, rock, and mud bottoms andStenocionops furcata (Olivier, 1791)
jetties, intertidal to 180m
On organic, mud, and sand bottoms, 50 toStenocionops spinosissima (Saussure, 1857)
480m
Apiomithrax violaceus (A. Milne Edwards, On sand and mud bottoms, shallow waters
1868)
to 50m
On sand, shell, coral, and rock bottoms, shalChorinus heros (Herbst, 1790)
low waters to 50m
Libinia ferreirae Brito Capello, 1871
On mud bottoms, intertidal to 35m
On calcareous algae bottoms, shallow waters
Microlissa brasiliensis (Rathbun, 1923)
to 85mOn mud and calcareous algae, occasionally on
Notolopas brasiliensis Miers, 1886
sand and shell bottoms, intertidal to 30m

150

Rapid Assessment Program

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to SC

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western Atlantic

AP to CEWestern Atlantic

MA to RJ

Western Atlantic

MA to ES

Western Atlantic

MA to BA

Western Atlantic

MA to ES

Western Atlantic

CE to BA

Western Atlantic

AP to ES

Western Atlantic

PI to SP

Western Atlantic

PB to RJ

Western Atlantic

MA to RS

Western Atlantic

PB to RJ

Western Atlantic

CE to SP

Western Atlantic

MA to SP

Western Atlantic

RN to BA

Western Atlantic

PI to RJ
BA to RJ

Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic

MA to RJ

Western Atlantic

PA to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western Atlantic

AP to BA

Western Atlantic

CE to RS

Western Atlantic

RN to RS

Western Atlantic

PB to RS

Atlantic

CE to BA

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

CE to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

List of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON
Pelia rotunda A. Milne Edwards, 1875
Rochinia gracilipes A. Milne Edwards,
1875
Picroceroides tubularis Miers, 1886
Pitho lherminieri (Schramm, 1867)

HABITATOn sand and calcareous algae bottoms, intertidal to 190m
On gravel, sand, and shell bottoms, 15 to175m
On calcareous algae bottoms, 20 to 90m
On mud, sand, shell, coral, and rock bottoms,
shallow waters to 28m, rarely to 200m

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

PA to RS

Western Atlantic

RJ to RS

Western Atlantic

MA to ES

Western Atlantic

PA to SP

Western Atlantic

MA to RJ

Western Atlantic

CE to PR

Western Atlantic

PA to RS

Western Atlantic

CE to RS

Western Atlantic

PA to ES

Western Atlantic

PA to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to PR

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

RN to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

MA to SP

Western Atlantic

PA to RJ

Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indan

CE to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to SC

Western Atlantic

PB to RS

Western Atlantic

MA to SC

Western Atlantic

CE to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

BA to RS

Atlantic

AP to RS

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

PA to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western AtlanticBA

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

Family Parthenopidae
Cryptopodia concava (Stimpson, 1871)
Heterocrypta granulata (Gibbes, 1850)
Heterocrypta lapidea Rathbun, 1901
Heterocrypta tommasii Rodrigues da Costa, 1959
Leiolambrus nitidus Rathbun, 1901
Mesorhoea sexspinosa Stimpson, 1871
Parthenope agona (Stimpson, 1871)
Parthenope fraterculus (Stimpson, 1871)
Parthenope guerini (Brito Capello, 1871)
Parthenope pourtalesii (Stimpson, 1871)
Parthenope serrata (H Milne Edwards,
1834)
Thyrolambrus astroides Rathbun, 1894
Section Brachyrhyncha
Family Portunidae
Arenaeus cribrarius (Lamarck, 1818)
Callinectes bocourti A. Milne-Edwards,
1879

On sand, mud, shell, and coral bottoms, shallow waters to 60m
On sand, shell, and gravel bottoms, shallow
waters to 140m
On sand, mud, and shell bottoms, intertidal
to 180m
On sand and shell, occasionally mud bottoms,
intertidal to 15m
On sand and muddy sand bottoms, 7 to 75m
On sand and shell bottoms, intertidal to100m
On sand and shell bottoms, intertidal to100m
On sand, shell, gravel, coral, and rock bottoms, shallow waters to 200m
On sand and calcareous algae bottoms, 15 to
30m
On mud, sand, shell, and gravel bottoms, 20
to 350m
On mud, sand, shell, gravel, and coral bottoms, shallow waters to 110m
On detritus and calcareous algae bottoms, 50
to 370m

On sand beaches, intertidal to 70m
Estuarine, low salinity waters, also in polluted
waters, intertidal to 20m
In brackish to high salinity waters, in manCallinectes danae Smith, 1869
groves and muddy estuaries, intertidal to 75m
Estuarine and marine waters, near mangroves,
Callinectes exasperatus (Gerstaecker, 1856)
intertidal to 8m
On sand and mud bottoms, and among manCallinectes larvatus Ordway, 1863
grove borders, intertidal to 25m
On sand and mud bottoms of low salinity
Callinectes ornatus Ordway, 1863
waters, intertidal to 75m
In estuaries, lagoons and bays, intertidal to
Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1895
90m
Sand beaches and rock bottoms, intertidal to
Cronius ruber (Lamarck, 1818)110m
On sand, coral, rock, and algae bottoms, shalCronius tumidulus Stimpson, 1871
low waters to 75m
Portunus anceps (Saussure, 1858)
On sand, mud, shell, and rock bottoms
On sand, mud, and shell bottoms, also foundPortunus gibbesii (Stimpson, 1859)
in bays and estuaries, shallow waters to 90m
On sand, shell, and coral bottoms, shallow
Portunus ordwayi (Stimpson, 1860)
waters to 110m

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

151

Appendix 5

TAXON
Portunus spinicarpus (Stimpson, 1871)
Portunus spinimanus Latreille, 1819
Portunus ventralis (A. Milne-Edwards,
1879)
Family Xanthidae
Banareia palmeri (Rathbum, 1894)
Cataleptodius ﬂoridanus (Gibbes, 1850)

HABITAT
Estuarine, low salinity waters, also in polluted
waters, intertidal to 20m
In brackish waters of bays and channels, on
sand, shell, and mud bottoms, shallow waters
to 90mIn intertidal pools and sand beaches, intertidal
to 25mBetween sponges and corals, shallow waters
to 150m
On rock and coral bottoms, and in sponges,
intertidal to 35m

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION

AP to SC

Western Atlantic

PE to RS

Western Atlantic

RN to RJ

Western Atlantic

PA to ES

Western Atlantic

CE to RS

Atlantic

Edwardsium spinimanus (H. Milne-Edwards, 1834)

On mud bottoms, 15 to 55m

CE to RS

Western Atlantic

Eriphia gonagra (Fabricius, 1781)

On rock, coral, and algae bottoms, in sponges,
intertidal to 5m

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

CE to RS

Western Atlantic

PE to RS

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

AP to ES

Western Atlantic

PE to SC

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

CE to SC

Western Atlantic

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

MA to SC

Atlantic

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western Atlantic

MA to SC

Western Atlantic

CE to SC

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

MA to SP

Atlantic

MA to RJ

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

CE to SC

Atlantic

PE to RS

Western Atlantic

Eurypanopeus abbreviatus (Stimpson,On rock and coral bottoms, intertidal to 5m
1860)
Eurypanopeus dissimilis (Benedict & RathIn saline lagoons and bays, shallow waters
bun, 1891)
In mangroves, mud beaches, and in burrows,
Eurytium limosum (Say, 1818)
intertidal to shallow waters
Garthiope spinipes A. (Milne-Edwards,
On coral reefs and among sponges, intertidal
1880)
to 60m
On sand, mud, shell, and gravel bottoms,
Hexapanopeus angustifrons (Benedict &Rathbun, 1891)
intertidal to 140m
Hexapanopeus caribbaeus (Stimpson,On sand bottoms, intertidal to 55m
1871)
On sand, shell, and rock bottoms, intertidal
Hexapanopeus paulensis Rathbun, 1930
to 5m
On sand, mud, and shell bottoms, intertidal
Hexapanopeus schmitti Rathbun, 1930
to 25mOn rock, shell, and coral bottoms, shallow
Melybia thalamita Stimpson, 1871
waters to 200m
In intertidal pools, under rocks and jetties;
Menippe nodifrons Stimpson, 1859
shallow waters
On rock, coral, and shell, Porites and HalimMicropanope nuttingi (Rathbun, 1898)
eda bottoms, shallow waters to 180m
On sand, gravel, and coral bottoms, 10 toMicropanope sculptipes Stimpson, 1871
310m
Under rocks in mud beaches and mangroves,
Panopeus americanus Saussure, 1857
on sand, shell, and mud bottoms, intertidal
to 25mIn intertidal pools, under rocks, and among
Panopeus bermudensis Benedict & Rathoysters, in estuaries and mangroves, on sand,bun, 1891
up to 15m
Under rocks, on rock and coral reefs, intertidal
Panopeus harttii Smith, 1869
to 25mUnder rocks in estuaries, bays, and channels;
Panopeus lacustris Desbonne, 1867
in polluted waters
On sand, rock, and gravel bottoms, among
Panopeus occidentalis Saussure, 1857
algae and mangrove roots, on jetties, intertidal
to 20m
On sand, rock, shell, and coral bottoms, interPanopeus rugosus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880
tidal to 50m

152

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZIL

Rapid Assessment ProgramList of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZIL

Paractaea rufopunctata nodosa (Stimpson,
1860)
Pilumnoides coelhoi Guinot & MacPherson, 1987
Pilumnus caribaeus Desbonne & Schramm, 1867

On coral, sand, and rock bottoms, intertidal
to 220m

AP to RJ

Atlantic

Shallow waters to 30m

BA to SC

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

PB to SC

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

AL to BA

Western Atlantic

AP to SP

Western Atlantic

PA to RSRN to SC
RN to RJ

Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic

PB to RS

Western Atlantic

CE to BA

Western Atlantic

PI to SC

Western Atlantic

PE to RS

Western Atlantic

BA to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RJ

Western AtlanticBA

Western Atlantic

PA to BA

Western Atlantic

PA to BA

Western Atlantic

AL to SP

Western Atlantic

PE to RS

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

PA to RS

Western Atlantic

MA to ES

Western Atlantic

AL to SP

Western Atlantic

PE to SC

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Atlantic

Pilumnus dasypodus Kingsley, 1879
Pilumnus diomedeae Rathbun, 1894
Pilumnus ﬂoridanus Stimpson, 1871
Pilumnus quoyi H. Milne-Edwards, 1834
Pilumnus reticulatus Stimpson, 1860
Pilumnus spinosissimus Rathbun, 1898
Platypodiella spectabilis (Herbst, 1794)
Tetraxanthus rathbunae Chace, 1939
Xanthodius denticulatus (White, 1847)

On sand, mud, and shell bottoms, intertidal
to 55m
On sand, shell, and coral bottoms, also in mangroves and jetties, intertidal to 30m
On mud and coral bottoms, 40 to 340m
On sand, shell, gravel, rock, and coral bottoms, also in sponges
On detritus and sand bottoms, intertidal to100m
On mud and shell bottoms, intertidal to 75m
On sand, rock, and coral bottoms, 5 to 20m
On coral reefs and under rocks, 5 to 15m
On mud, shell, coral, rock, and sand bottoms,
20 to 100m
In intertidal pools and coral reefs, to depth of
15m

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Family Goneplacidae
Euryplax nitida Stimpson , 1859
Cyrtoplax spinidentata (Benedict, 1892)
Eucratopsis crassimanus (Dana, 1851)

On sand, rock, and coral bottoms, shallow
waters to 90m
On sand, shell, and coral bottoms, shallow
waters to 25m
On sand, coral, and gravel bottoms, shallow
waters to 80m
On mud bottoms, 70 to 150m
On sand, shell, and coral bottoms, 10 to
330m
On mud and sand bottoms, oﬀ Brazil todepth of 55m

Frevillea hirsuta (Borradaile, 1916)
Nanoplax xanthiformis (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)
Pseudorhombila quadridentata (Latreille,
1828)
Chasmocarcinus peresi Rodrigues da Costa,
On mud bottoms, 15 to 25m
1968
Chasmocarcinus rathbuni Bouvier, 1917
On mud bottoms, 15 to 25m
Family Pinnotheridae
Pinnixa aidae Righi, 1967
On sand beaches; shallow waters
On mud, shell, and gravel bottoms; polyPinnixa chaetopterana Stimpson, 1860
chaete symbionts, also in Callichirus burrows
On mud bottoms or in burrows of Arenicola,
Pinnixa sayana Stimpson, 1860
shallow waters to 75m
On ﬁne sand, coral, and shell bottoms, on
Dissodactylus crinitichelis Moreira, 1901
echinoids Encope and ClypeasterOn sand and coral bottoms, sometimes swimParapinnixa hendersoni Rathbun, 1918
ming free, 40 to 60m
On mud, sand, shell, and gravel bottoms,
associated with bivalves and in burrows of
Tumidotheres maculatus (Say, 1818)
Arenicola and Chaetopterus; shallow waters to
50m
Associated with bivalves Cassostrea, Anomia,
Zaops ostreum (Say, 1817)
Mytilus, and Pecten, and in burrows of polychaetes
Family Grapsidae
In mangroves, among the roots and on muddy
Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803)
beaches, supralittoral to intertidal zones

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

153

Appendix 5

TAXON
Grapsus grapsus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pachygrapsus gracilis (Saussure, 1858)
Pachygrapsus transversus (Gibbes, 1850)
Planes cyaneus Dana, 1851
Plagusia depressa (Fabricius, 1775)
Aratus pisonii (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)
Armases angustipes (Dana, 1852)
Cyclograpsus integer (H. Milne-Edwards,
1837)
Metasesarma rubripes (Rathbun, 1897)
Sesarma crassipes Cano, 1889
Sesarma rectum Randall, 1840
Family Gecarcinidae
Cardisoma guanhumi Latreille, 1825
Family Ocypodidae
Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787)
Uca burgesie Holthuis, 1967
Uca cumulanta Crane, 1943
Uca leptodactyla Rathbun, 1898
Uca maracoani (Latreille, 1802)
Uca mordax (Smith, 1870)
Uca rapax (Smith, 1870)
Uca thayeri Rathbun, 1900
Uca vocator (Herbst, 1804)
Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763)
Family Palicidae
Palicus acutifrons (A. Milne-Edwards,
1880)
Palicus aﬃnis (A. Milne-Edwards, 1899)
Palicus faxoni Rathbun, 1897
Palicus sica (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880)

HABITATIn rocky intertidal zones, rock bottoms near
the surf zone
In rocks bottoms, under rocks, and on jetties,
occasionally among mangrove roots, in estuaries and reefs
In rocky bottoms, intertidal
Pelagic, on ﬂoating objects and algae
On rocky bottoms, in crevices and corals, intidal pools, intertidal
In estuaries and mangroves, on rocks or jetties
Around estuaries, in littoral rocks, and inbromeliads
Marine brackish regions, in supralittoral andintertidal areas of rock beaches
Marine brackish regions, among roots androck crevices
In mangrove areas, marine, polyhaline
In burrows in the shadows of mangrove trees,
euryhaline

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

CE to ES

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

CE to RS

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

CE to RSRN to RS

Paciﬁc and Atlantic
Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian

CE to BA

Atlantic

PI to SP

Paciﬁc and Atlantic

CE to SC

Western Atlantic

CE to SC

Atlantic

CE to RS

Western Atlantic

PE to BA

Western Atlantic

AP to SC

Western Atlantic

In mangroves, semiterrestrial and aggregated

CE to SP

Western Atlantic

Sand beaches, in the supralittoral zone
In beaches of estuaries and coastal lagoons,among mangroves, in burrows
Mud beaches, among mangroves
In the supralittoral and intertidal zones, onsand bottoms with little mud, at the edge oflarge bays and islands exposed to the sea
In low tide zone, on mud bottoms, among
mangroves, at the edge of protected bays
At the edge of mangroves and estuaries, inwaters of low salinity
In burrows in mud bottoms near mangroves,and at the edge of estuaries and lagoons
In shaded areas of mud bottoms, near mangroves
In mangroves, among trees, and also in coastal
riversAmong mangrove roots, in burrows; brackish
watersPA to RS

Western Atlantic

MA to SP

Western Atlantic

PA to RJ

Western Atlantic

MA to SC

Western Atlantic

MA to PR

Western Atlantic

PA to SP

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

MA to SC

Western Atlantic

PE to SC

Western Atlantic

PA to SC

Western Atlantic

BA to ES

Western Atlantic

MA to ES

Western Atlantic

RN to RJ

Western Atlantic

AP to RS

Western Atlantic

MA to BA

Atlantic

Shallow waters to 30m
On sand, shell, and coral bottoms, 20 to215m
On sand bottoms, 35 to 95m
On sand, mud, shell, and coral bottoms, shallow waters to 190m

Family Cryptochiridae
Troglocarcinus corallicola Verrill, 1908
Order Mysidacea
Suborder Mysida
Family Mysidae
154

Rapid Assessment Program

Inhabiting corals of the families Astrocoeniidae, Siderastreidae, Faviidae, Oculinidae,
Meandrinidae, Mussidae, and Caryophyllidae

List of crustacean species previously recorded from theAbrolhos region (including the nearby coast) indicating
habitat, range within Brazil, and general distribution

TAXON
Siriella chierchiae Coifmann, 1937
Siriella thompsoni (H. Milne-Edwards,
1837)
Order Tanaidacea Suborder ApseudomorphaSuperfamily Apseudoidea
Family Kalliapseudidae
Subfamily Kalliapseudinae
Psammokalliapseudes granulosus Brum,1973
Family Pagurapseudidae
Subfamily Hodometricinae
Parapagurapseudopsis carinata Brum, 1973
Family Parapseudidae
Parapseudes inermis (Brum, 1973)
Saltipedis paulensis (Brum, 1971)
Suborder Tanaidomorpha Superfamily
Paratanaoidea
Family Leptocheliidae
Leptochelia dubia (Kroyer, 1842)
Leptochelia forresti (Stebbing, 1896)
Family Paratanaidae
Paratanais oculatus (Vanhöﬀen, 1914)
Superfamily Tanaoidea
Family Tanaidae
Subfamily Pancolinae
Tribe Anatanaini
Zeuxo (Parazeuxo) coralensis (Sieg, 1980)
Order Amphipoda
Suborder Gammaridea
Family Ampeliscidae
Ampelisca brevisimulata J.L. Barnard,
1954
Ampelisca pugetica Stimpson, 1864
Family Corophiidae
Chevalia aviculae Walker, 1904
Globosolembos smithi (Holmes, 1905)
Family Hyalidae
Protohyale macrodactyla (Stebbing, 1899)
Apohyale media (Dana, 1853)
Protohyale nigra (Haswell, 1879)
Parahyale hawaiensis (Dana, 1853)
Family Melitidae
Elasmopus brasiliensis (Dana, 1855)
Elasmopus pectenicrus (Bate, 1862)
Maera grossimana (Montagu, 1808)
Quadrimaera cristianae Krapp-Schickel &Ruﬀo, 2000
Quadrimaera quadrimana (Dana, 1853)
Mallacoota subcarinata (Haswell, 1880)
Family Phliantidae
Pariphinotus seclusus (Shoemaker, 1933)
Family Platyischnopidae
Platyischnopus mirabilis Stebbing, 1888
Family Leucothoidae

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

Planktonic, in shallow waters

PE to RJ

Western Atlantic

Planktonic, in shallow waters

PE to RJ

Western Atlantic

Benthic, in marine shallow waters

BA

Western Atlantic

Benthic, in marine shallow waters

BA

BrazilBenthic, in marine shallow waters
Benthic, in marine shallow watersBA
BA to SP

BrazilSouthwestern Atlantic

Benthic, in marine shallow waters
Benthic, in marine shallow waters

BA to SPBA

Cosmopolitan
Atlantic and Paciﬁc

Benthic, in marine shallow waters

BA

Indian and Atlantic

Benthic, in marine shallow waters

PE to SP

Paciﬁc, Indian, and Atlantic

Infauna, tubicolous

BA to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

Infauna, tubicolous

BA to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

Epifauna, tubicolous
Epifauna, tubicolous

PB to SPBA to SP

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic

Intertidal, on algae
Intertidal, on algae
Intertidal, on algae
Intertidal, mangroves

BA to RJ
CE to RSMA to SPBA to RJ

Atlantic and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc and Indian
Cosmopolite

On algae and sponges
On algae and sponges
On algae and sponges

PE to SP
CE to PR
BA to RS

Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic

Benthic, in marine shallow waters

RA, PE, BA

Western Atlantic

On algae and sponges
Shallow marine waters

CE to SPPE to SP

Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

On algae

ES to BA

Western AtlanticBA

Atlantic and Paciﬁc

In sand bottoms

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

155

Appendix 5

TAXON
Leucothoe spinicarpa (Abildgaard, 1789)
Leucothoe tridens Stebbing, 1888
Leucothoe lihue Barnard, 1970
Leucothoe laurensi Thomas & Ortiz, 1995
Leucothoe basilobata Serejo, 1998
Leucothoe cheiriserra Serejo, 1998
Leucothoe urospinosa Serejo, 1998
Suborder Caprellidea
Infraorder Caprellida
Family Caprellidae
Fallotritella montoucheti Quitete, 1971
Hemiaegina minuta Mayer, 1890
Order Isopoda
Suborder Flabellifera
Family Cirolanidae
Subfamily Cirolaninae
Cirolana palifrons Barnard, 1920
Cirolana parva Hansen, 1890
Metacirolana riobaldoi (Lemos de Castro& Lima, 1976)
Family Corallanidae
Excorallana angusta Lemos de Castro,
1960
Suborder Valvifera
Family Idoteidae
Synidotea brunnea Pires & Moreira, 1975
Family Microcerberidae
Microcerberus delamarei Remane &Siewing, 1953
Family Sphaeromatidae
Subfamily Dynameninae
Sphaeromopsis mourei (Loyola e Silva,
1960)
Subfamily Sphaeromatinae
Cymodoce brasiliensis Richardson, 190
Cymodoce meridionalis Richardson, 1906
Family Aegidae
Rocinela tropica Brasil-Lima, 1986
Suborder Epicaridea
Family Bopyridae
Subfamily Pseudioninae
Aporobopyrus curtatus (Richardson, 1904)
Assymetrione desultor Markham, 1975
Subfamily Bopyrinae
Brobopyrinella heardi Adkison, 1984

156

Rapid Assessment Program

HABITAT

DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZILGENERAL DISTRIBUTION

In sponges
In sponges
In sponges
In sponges
In sponges
In sponges
In sponges

PE to SPPE to BA
AL to BABA
BA
BA
PE to BA

Cosmopolite
Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Atlantic and Paciﬁc
Western Atlantic
BrazilBrazilBrazilEpifauna, on hydrozoa
Epifauna, on hydrozoa

PE to ESPE to RJ

Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic

Benthic, in marine shallow waters
Benthic, in marine shallow waters

BA to ESPI to BA

Atlantic
Atlantic, Paciﬁc, and Indian

Benthic, in marine shallow waters

BA to ES

Western Atlantic

Benthic, in marine shallow waters

BA

Intertidal, collected among algae

BA to ES

Western Atlantic

Interstitial, littoral in intertidal zone, in beaches with coarse sandBA to SP

Western Atlantic

Benthic, in marine shallow waters

CE to SC

BrazilBenthic, in marine shallow waters
Benthic, in marine shallow waters

RN to SC
RN to BA

BrazilBrazilBenthic, in marine shallow waters

BA to ESSouthwest Atlantic

Parasite
Parasite

PA to PR
BA

Western Atlantic
Western Atlantic

Parasite of Latreutes parvulus Stimpson

BA to SP

Western Atlantic

BrazilMaps and Photos

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

157

Maps and Photos

Balistes vetula (G. Allen)

Juvenile queen angelﬁsh, Holacanthus ciliaris (G. Allen)

Octocoral, Carijoa riisei (G. Allen)

Sponge (E. Marone)

Lighthouse at Santa Bárbara Island, Abrolhos Archipelago (G. Allen).

158

Rapid Assessment ProgramMaps and Photos

Malacoctenus sp on the reef coral Mussismilia hispida (G. Allen)

Juvenile Pomacanthus paru (G. Allen)

Firecoral, Millepora sp. (G. Allen)

Ocean surgeon, Acanthurus bahianus (G. Allen)

Agaricia fragilis (E. Marone)

Abrolhos Bank, Bahia, Brazil

159

Maps and Photos

Abrolhos Marine RAP science team. Front row (L to R): Leo Dutra, Marcia Figueiredo, Carlos Eduardo Ferreira, Rodrigo Moura, Gerry Allen andBárbara Segal. Back row (L to R): Clóvis Castro, Tim Werner, Ronaldo Francini-Filho, Guilherme Dutra and Paulo Paiva.

Octocoral endemic to Bahia, Muricea ﬂamma (G. Allen)

Anous stolidus (G. Allen)

160

Rapid Assessment Program

Parrotﬁsh, Sparisoma radians (G. Allen)