NEW OBSERVATIONS ON THE STONY CORAL (SCLERACTINIA, MILLEPORIDAE, AND STYLASTERIDAE) SPECIES OF BELIZE (CENTML AMEmCA) AND COZUMEL (MEXICO)

摘要

A total of 6l species and eight forms of stony corals (Scleractinia, Milleporidae, and Stylasteridae) are known from the shallow waters (0--30 m) of Belize (Central America) and 63 species and eight forms from Cozumel (Mexico), including ll new records from Belize and five new records from Cozumel. Tubastraea coccinea in Belize and Cozumel, and the hydrocoral Mllepora striata in Belize represent biogeographic range extensions. A total of 94/100 of the species of zooxanthellate Scleractinia were found at both locations, but only 58/100 of the species of azooxanthellate Scleractinia were found at both locations. About 94/100 of the zooxanthellate Scleractinian species known from the Caribbean have been found at Belize and 9l/100 found at Cozumel, and 25/100 and 43/100 of the known shal- low-water (0--30 m) azooxanthellate Scleractinia have been found at the two sites, re- spectively suggesting that the zooxanthellate Scleractinia may be better sampled than the azooxanthellate Scleractinia. Several zooxanthellates differed notably in abundance be- tween the two sites, and some species showed greater within-species morphological varia- tion at Beiize than Cozumel. The appearance and ecology of M strata and the field identification of four plate-forming Agaricia species are included.