Ecology and natural history of the Caribbean reef squid Sepiotheuthis sepioidea (Phylum Mollusca, Class Cephalopoda)

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Ghadially
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Small Species ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Caribbean Reef ◽  
Western Atlantic Ocean ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Caribbean

Cephalopod molluscs evolved from ancient cephalopods found during the Cambrian period around 550 million years ago. The Caribbean reef squid (Sepiotheuthis sepioidea) is a small species of cephalopod, up to 30cm in length, found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. Throughout their lives these squid can be found in various places in the water column and on the reef. Aside from being a predator, the Caribbean reef squid is also prey for many species of fish as well as humans. Global warming and potential fishing threats are altering the reef squid’s habitat.

A Cryptic Invasion in the Western Atlantic: Presence of the Fouling Barnacle Megabalanus zebra (Darwin, 1854) (Crustacea, Cirripedia) in the Caribbean Sea

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4237 (1) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
FABIO BETTINI PITOMBO ◽  
JUDITH GOBIN ◽  
NIVIA MARIA NUNES ABREU ◽  
ALANA JUTE
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Ship Hulls ◽  
Western Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Cryptic Invasion ◽  
Southern Caribbean ◽  
Natural Range ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Delayed Recognition

The barnacle Megabalanus zebra is largely known from ship hulls, with little information on its biology, ecology, and natural range. We identify M. zebra here from the southern Caribbean, based upon specimens collected as early as 2002. Challenges associated with identifying megabalinine species have delayed recognition of this species as distinct from other Caribbean Megabalanus. Sequenced material of M. zebra from Curaçao did not match M. zebra GenBank sequences that could be verified by descriptions or vouchered material. The presence of young M. zebra on vessels that have not left the Caribbean, as well as on pier pilings and resident buoys, indicate that this species is established in the tropical Western Atlantic Ocean, but the timing of its invasion remains unknown.  

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