Volume 58
Characterization of the Epibenthic Macroinvertebrates Associated with the Seagrass Beds of Thalassia testudinum (Banks ex König, 1805) in La Guajira, Colombian Caribbean
Authors
Aguirre-Aguirre, A., G. Duque-Nivia, D.I. Gomez-Lopez Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2005
Pages: 57-62
Event: Proceedings of the Fifty Eighth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: San Andres
Country: Colombia
Abstract
The seagrass beds of La Guajira are the largest of the Colombian Caribbean. There is a high diversity of epibenthic macroinvertebrates, and the abundance and composition usually vary among seasons. A total of 11 sites were sampled with a beam trawl in both dry (July-August) and rainy (November) seasons. Ninety-five (95) epibenthic macroinvertebrate species were recorded, the most frequent and abundant species being: Lytechinus variegatus, Arca zebra, and Tozeuma carolinense. The ANOVA of the mean density showed not significant difference among seasons for these three species (p = 0.4430; p = 0.1975; p = 0.9444, respectively). Moreover, the mean density of all species sampled did not show significant differences among seasons either (p = 0.8209). The species founded in this study are considered typical for this areas in the Colombian Caribbean and the Wider Caribbean.