Abstract
Abstract: The reef ecosystems of Morro de São Paulo are located in the Tinharé-Boipeba Environmental Preservation Area which was established in 1992 in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Despite this area has been created more than two decades ago, no study has provided knowledge on the invertebrate biodiversity associated with such reef ecosystems. The present investigation provides the first inventory of benthic mollusks associated with the reef ecosystems of Morro de São Paulo based on the collection of living specimens and fresh empty as well as some worn shells. Mollusks were sampled in January 2015 and August 2016 through intensive searches from the intertidal to shallow subtidal habitats of the reefs on three beaches of Morro de São Paulo. Taxonomic richness and biodiversity indices were analyzed. This rapid assessment of the malacofauna resulted in the determination of 84 species belonging to 44 families of gastropods as well as 13 species belonging to eight families of bivalves and one chiton (total: 98 species). Species richness was numerically dominated by members of the subclass Caenogastropoda. The families with the largest number of species were Ranellidae (5), Muricidae (6) and Marginellidae (7). Conus regius, Cypraecassis testiculus, Lobatus goliath, Strombus pugilis, Tonna galea, Turbinella laevigata and Vasum cassiforme are extremely vulnerable macrospecies in the region due to their commercial importance. Comparisons of the malacofauna composition between the study site and Abrolhos Bank were made from data published for this region. ACE and CHAO 1 estimated 133 mollusk species for the region. Despite the rapid assessment, the number of species discovered in the study area approached 73.6% of the estimated total number. The considerable number of mollusk species found in a relatively small area with insufficient sampling underscores the importance of the reef ecosystems of Morro de São Paulo as a one priority area for conservation on the coast of the state of Bahia, Brazil, for which the species richness of other invertebrate groups is virtually unknown.
Highlights
Brazil has about 10,800 km of coastline (04o52’ N to 33o45’ S) and a marine area of approximately 3.5 million km2
Species richness was numerically dominated by members of the subclass Caenogastropoda, which comprised about 66% of the species found at the study site (Figure 2)
Most gastropods studied were collected on hard substrates from the reef ecosystem (Figure 10)
Summary
Brazil has about 10,800 km of coastline (04o52’ N to 33o45’ S) and a marine area of approximately 3.5 million km2 This coastal zone is among the largest and most important marine ecoregions in the world due to the climatic range, geomorphological variety (MMA 2010) and heterogeneity of ecosystems (Dutra et al 2005, Rodríguez-Ramírez et al 2008, Leão et al 2016). The state of Bahia, in the northeastern region of the country, has the largest coastal zone in Brazil This geomorphologically complex area has a variety of coastal environments, with muddy, silty and sandy bottoms, seagrass, coralline algae, reef outcrops, protected bays, mangroves, estuaries and reef ecosystems. Such heterogeneity leads to the formation of a wide variety of benthic habitats that harbor a high richness of invertebrates. Despite the biological and ecological importance of this coastal zone (Leão & Ginsburg 1997, Alves & Cerqueira 2000, Leão 2002, Dutra et al 2005, Barros et al 2008, MMA 2010, Ourives et al 2011, Paz et al 2012, Cunha et al 2013, Moura et al 2015, Paim et al 2015, Leão et al 2016, Mazzei et al 2016, Lucena & Christoffersen 2017), there remains much to be discovered regarding the biological diversity of its ecosystems, even in the most studied regions between the Abrolhos Archipelago and Tinharé-Boipeba Environmental Protection Area
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
