Checklist of Benthic Cnidaria in the SW Atlantic Ocean (54ºS?56ºS)

SCHEJTER LAURA; GENZANO GABRIEL; PEREZ CARLOS DANIEL; ACUÑA FABIÁN H.; CORDEIRO RALF; SILVA R. A.; GARESE AGUSTÍN; BREMEC CLAUDIA

ZOOTAXA

MAGNOLIA PRESS

Año: 2020 vol. 4878 p. 201 - 239

1175-5326

In this study we provide an updated checklist of benthic Cnidaria from SW Atlantic Ocean that comprised the Marine Protected Areas Namuncurá I and II, located at Burdwood bank, and other neighbouring locations. A total of 88 taxa was recorded: 36 hydrozoans and 52 anthozoans from which 32 were octocorals, 10 scleractinian corals, 8 sea anemones and 2 zoanthids. Burdwood bank presented the highest richness considering that 87% of the recorded species inhabit this plateau or its slope. Besides some common species widely distributed in the studied sub-areas, at least 24 species represent new distributional records while few were exclusively recorded at Burdwood bank. The inventory here provided will help to identify key habitat-forming species in a complex habitat where marine animal forests and vulnerable marine ecosystems were previously detected. It will be also a very valuable tool for the management and monitoring of the sub-areas under protection.