Occurrence of the azooxanthellate coral Phyllangia pequegnatae (Scleractinia: Caryophylliidae) in the Colombian Caribbean Sea: hidden diversity or another invasive species?

Abstract

As part of a baseline biodiversity study of the marine fauna associated with the Marina of Puerto Velero (PVM) in the Colombian Caribbean, we record the presence of the azooxanthellate coral Phyllangia pequegnatae Cairns, 2000. This new record extends the geographic distribution of this species to the southwestern Caribbean and increases its bathymetric range to the shallow 0.3 m depth as this species was previously known between 48 and 112 m depth. The colony of P. pequegnatae consists of 15 corallites and it was collected from underneath one of the main docks (concrete). Images of live extended polyps and detailed corallite morphology illustrate the differences between the recorded species P. pequegnatae with respect to its congeneric Phyllangia americana americana Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849. We discussed two hypothetical scenarios for the occurrence of P. pequegnatae in the Colombian Caribbean: the expansion of the bathymetric range of a previously overlooked native species or its introduction via the fouling community of small vessels.