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Information on the presence of soft corals in estuarine environments is scarce. The Gulf of Nicoya is the most important estuary on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica (Voorhis et al., 1983; Vargas, 2016). Information on soft corals from the Gulf of Nicoya is scattered in the literature and in museum collections. The availability of updated lists of species is essential in future studies aiming at the evaluation of the impact of local, regional and global stressors on the biodiversity of ecosystems such as the Gulf. Thus, the objective of this report is to list the species of soft corals collected in the estuary.
The species reported within an area north of a line across the estuary from Montezuma Beach on the western shore to Herradura Bay on the eastern shore (Fig. 1), were selected. The reviews by Breedy and Guzmán (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020) and Breedy, et al. (2009) were consulted. In addition, species from the Gulf deposited in the collection of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Costa Rica (MZUCR), were included.
Fig. 1 Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Left: Location of collecting sites for soft corals: 1. Montezuma, 2. Ballena Bay, 3. Tolinga Island, 4. Tortuga Island, 5. Negritos islands, 6. Cedros Island, 7. San Lucas Island, 8. Caballo Island, 9. Cortezas islets. 10. Herradura Bay. Right: A dry complete specimen of Leptogorgia alba, the most frequently collected and widespread species.
A total of 30 species of soft corals (Alcyonacea) are reported for the Gulf of Nicoya (Table 1 and Table 2) belonging to three families: Clavulariidae (Carijoa), Gorgoniidae (Eugorgia, Leptogorgia, Pacifigorgia) and Plexauridae (Adelogorgia, Heterogorgia, Muricea, Psammogorgia). The genera Leptogorgia and Pacifigorgia were the most diverse, with eight species each. Leptogorgia alba (Fig. 1) was the most common species. Several taxa have been described based on material collected in the Gulf of Nicoya (Table 1). Most collections were made by diving on the western shore of the lower estuary while only two species were recorded from sites in the mid upper estuary: Carijoa sp from the Cortezas islets and L. laxa from Caballo Island (Fig. 1, Table 2). A total of 16 species are represented in the collection of the Museum of Zoology (Table 2).
The study by Núñez-Flores et al. (2019) reports that the shallow water gorgonian fauna of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is made up of 111 taxa, with a peak of species richness between 7o N to 10o N including the coast of Costa Rica. Cortés et al. (2017) provides data for 11 localities along the ETP, from Mexico to Peru and the Galapagos and Coco islands. They found 38 octocoral (Clavulariidae, Gorgoniidae, Plexauridae) species for the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and higher numbers in Mexico (46) and Panama (64). C. riisei and L. alba were the only two species found at the 11 localities. E. bradleyi, H. tortuosa, P. eximia, P. rubicunda and P. samarenis were reported only for Costa Rica. The 30 species found in this study in the Gulf of Nicoya represent 79% of those for the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. This percentage is relatively high despite the modest sampling effort that has focused on the eastern coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. This coast has more open ocean than estuarine characteristics and salinities are higher (Voorhis et al., 1983) which may provide a suitable habitat for corals. The most recent collections were made nearly two decades ago. Thus, a new survey is needed in the estuary, particularly north of Herradura Bay and on the mid upper Gulf to obtain a better assessment of the soft coral fauna of this tropical embayment.
C. riisei has been reported as an invasive species growing on top of other soft corals such as L. alba and others (Sánchez & Ballesteros, 2014). However, we are not aware of this behaviour in the Gulf of Nicoya.
TABLE 1 Soft corals (Alcyonacea) reported from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary and included in recent taxonomic reviews of the genera1
| Species | Catalog code, collection site, depth, year * |
|---|---|
| Adelogorgia osculabunda 2a | UCR 750. Ballena Bay, 65 m, 1993, trawl 3 |
| Eugorgia bradleyi | YPM 5147-5150. USNM 44206, 1931 |
| Eugorgia daniana | YPM 5146, USNM 49387. San Lucas Island, 1930 |
| Eugorgia nobilis | USNM 44207, 1931 |
| Heterogorgia tortuosa | UCR 1854, 11 m, 2002 |
| Heterogorgia verrucosa | UCR 1880, Tolinga islet, 20 m, 2002 |
| Leptogorgia alba | MCZ 7008, 1866 |
| Leptogorgia cofrini 2a,b | UCR 398A. Tortuga islands, 1.5 m, 1985 |
| UCR 398B. MCZ 62065. Tolinga Islet, 2 m, 2000 | |
| UCR 1526, 129. Negritos islands, 11 m, 2002 | |
| Leptogorgia exigua | YPM 5155 |
| Leptopgorgia diffusa 4 | MCZ 7081. YPM 5151. 1866-1867 |
| UCR 1582. Tolinga Islet, 15 m, 2002 | |
| UCR 1551. Punta Aguja, 15 m, 2002 | |
| Leptogorgia laxa | USNM 50615, 1952 |
| Leptogorgia pumila | UCR 1587. Punta Aguja, 13 m, 2002 |
| Leptogorgia regis | UCR 1594. 44-46 m, 2005, trawl 5 |
| Leptogorgia rigida | UCR 1548, UCR 1667. Negritos islands, 6 - 12 m, 2002 |
| Muricea hispida | USNM 49386. San Lucas Island, 1930 |
| Pacifigorgia adamsi | UCR 488. Herradura Bay |
| Pacifigorgia eximia | USNM 44214, 49381 |
| Pacifigorgia firma 2a | USNM 44215, 1931; USNM 49382, 1927 |
| Pacifigorgia irene 2a | USNM 33611, 49379, 1927; UCR 487 Herradura Bay 1983 |
| Pacifigorgia tabogae | USNM 44215 |
| Pacifigorgia samarensis 2a | UCR 480. Herradura Bay, 9 m, 1983 |
| Pacifigorgia senta 2a | MCZ 51923. Ballena Bay, 36 m, 1993, trawl 3 |
| Pacifigorgia stenobrochis | UCR 771. Montezuma, 10 m, 1993 |
| Psammogorgia arbuscula | MCZ 7009, 1866-1867, pearl divers |
*Data from the museum catalogue label.
1 Data from: Breedy & Guzmán (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2020), Breedy et al. (2009), Breedy & Cortés (2014).
2a Paratype designated based on material collected in the Gulf of Nicoya.
2b Holotype designated based on material collected in the Gulf of Nicoya.
3 R/V Victor Hensen (Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany).
4 Gulf of Nicoya, type locality.
5 R/V Urraca (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama).
UCR: University of Costa Rica. YPM: Yale Peabody Museum. USNM: United States National Museum.
MCZ: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.
TABLE 2 Soft corals (Alcyonacea) from the Gulf of Nicoya estuary deposited in the collection of the Museum of Zoology, University of Costa Rica (MZUCR)
| Catalog | Species | Locality and date * |
|---|---|---|
| 478 | Leptogorgia alba | Gulf of Nicoya, 1984 |
| 520 | Muricea fruticosa | Gulf of Nicoya, 1967 |
| 605 | Carijoa sp. | Upper Gulf, Cortezas islets, 1991 |
| 750 | Adelogorgia osculabunda | Ballena Bay, 1993 |
| 837,838,839 | Muricea fruticosa | Ballena Bay, 1993 |
| 928 | Pacifigorgia senta | Ballena Bay, 1993 |
| 1526,1529,1605 | Leptogorgia cofrini | Negritos Islands, 2002 |
| 1536, 1548 | Leptogorgia rigida | Eastern tip of Negritos islands, 2002 |
| 1549 | Pacifigorgia cairnsi | Eastern tip of Negritos islands, 2002 |
| 1550 | Pacifigorgia firma | Eastern tip of Negritos islands, 2002 |
| 1582 | Leptogorgia diffusa | Tortuga Island, 2002 |
| 1587 | Leptogorgia pumila | Gulf of Nicoya, 2002 |
| 1594 | Leptogorgia regis | Gulf of Nicoya, 2005 |
| 1602 | Leptogorgia alba | Cedros Island, 2002 |
| 1603,1604,1611 | Leptogorgia alba | Negritos islands, 2002 |
| 1606 | Leptogorgia alba | East of Tolinga Islet, 2002 |
| 1667, 1727 | Leptogorgia rigida | West and East Negritos Island, 2002 |
| 1728 | Carijoa riisei | West Negritos Island, 2002 |
| 1729 | Carijoa riisei | Cedros Island, 2002 |
| 1765 | Leptogorgia laxa | SW of Caballo Island, 2001 |
| 1785,1826 | Pacifigorgia rubicunda | Gulf of Nicoya, 2002 |
| 1823 | Pacifigorgia senta | Gulf of Nicoya, 2002 |
| 1829 | Pacifigorgia firma | Gulf of Nicoya, 2001 |
| 1830 | Pacifigorgia irene | West Negritos Island, 2002 |
| 2148, 2271 | Leptogorgia laxa | West Negritos Island, 2002 |
| 2687 | Pacifigorgia senta | Gulf of Nicoya, 2005 |
| 2688 | Psanmogorgia sp | East of Tolinga Islet, 2002 |
| 2701 | Muricea fruticosa | Gulf of Nicoya, 2002 |
| 3163, 3164 | Carijoa riisei | Islets South of San Lucas Island, 1999 |
| 3165 | Leptogorgia alba | Islets South of San Lucas Island, 1999 |
