Abstract
Introduction: The Gulf of Nicoya is the most important estuary on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Information on the presence of soft corals is scattered in the literature and in museum collections. Objective: To provide a list of soft corals reported for the estuary. Methods: We compiled the literature (2002-2020) and of the specimens deposited at the Museum of Zoology, University of Costa Rica. Results: Thirty species have been reported for the estuary (Clavulariidae, Gorgoniidae and Plexauridae). Most were collected on the eastern coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, and several species were described based on estuary specimens. Conclusion: The 30 species represent 79 % of those reported for Costa Rica. Despite this relatively high percentage, the sampling effort has been modest and other sites within the estuary should be explored.
Highlights
The Gulf of Nicoya is the most important estuary on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica
Information on soft corals from the Gulf of Nicoya is scattered in the literature and in museum collections
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)
Summary
The Gulf of Nicoya is the most important estuary on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Information on the presence of soft corals is scattered in the literature and in museum collections. “Lista de corales blandos (Cnidaria, Alcyonacea) en el estuario del Golfo de Nicoya, Pacífico de Costa Rica.”. The Gulf of Nicoya is the most important estuary on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica (Voorhis et al, 1983; Vargas, 2016).
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