Abstract
After more than 30 years of species' first capture on the Brazilian northeast coast, we report the second occurrence of the starfish Luidia senegalensis with niche modeling remarks on its distribution. Bottom trawl net collected specimens with artisanal fishery boat in Rio Grande do Norte State, northeast Brazil. It was noted the existence of a large number of regions, with high suitability for the occurrence of this species, in South America taking into account the ecological niche modeling, when compared to North and Central American continents. Benthic salinity range, calcite, and benthic minimum temperature were the most relevant for modeling. The northeastern, eastern, and southeastern Brazil ecoregions showed the most considerable amount of areas with high suitability for L. senegalensis. The niche modeling revealed essential aspects of the species and its distribution, raising concerns with regards to its future stability.
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