Abstract

ALVAREZ-CADENA, José N.; ALMARAL-MENDIVIL, Alma Rosa; ORDONEZ-LOPEZ, Uriel  and  UICAB-SABIDO, Amira. Composition, abundance and chaetognath species distribution in the north littoral of the Mexican Caribbean Sea. Hidrobiológica [online]. 2008, vol.18, suppl.1, pp.37-48. ISSN 0188-8897.

Species composition and variations in abundance of chaetognaths from the north of Quintana Roo were carried out from January to December 2004. Sampling was made near surface with a conical net (0.40 m, diameter; 330 µm mesh) at 12 stations from Puerto Morelos to Cancun. Temperature and salinity were measured in situ. Weather conditions were atypical with previous reports (dry, rains, nortes). Instead, a better correlation was observed with the environmental conditions of the lagoon, reef and oceanic zones. A total of 16,966 chaetognaths were captured with an annual mean abundance of 575 org./100 m³. Eleven species of chaetognaths were recorded, with Ferosagitta hispida as the most abundant (499.6 org./100 m³ = 77%) and unique species in the lagoon zone. Flaccisagitta enflata (80.2 org./100 m³ = 14.6%), was second in abundance and collected mainly in the oceanic zone. Krohnitta pacifica (17.8 org./100 m³ = 3%) and Serratosagitta serratodentata (13.2 org./100 m³ = 2.5%), both were abundant in the reef zone. Other species were: Sagitta tenuis, Pterosagitta draco, F. hexaptera, S. friderici, S. helenae, Mesosagitta minima and S. bipunctata contributing 12.8 org./100 m³ = 2.3% altogether.

Keywords : Chaetognatha; composition; abundance; Mexican Caribbean Sea.