Species richness, endemicity and distribution patterns of South Africa sea anemones (Cnidaria: Actiniaria and Corallimorpharia)

ACUÑA, F. H.; C. L. GRIFFITHS

African Zoology

Zoological Society of Southern Africa

Año: 2004 vol. 39 p. 193 - 200

1562-7020

A revised and updated list of South African sea anemones is compiled and the distribution pattern and endemicity of each determined from museum and literature records. Forty–nine valid species are recognized. Species richness appears fairly uniform around the coast, although marked peaks occur at Cape Town, False Bay and Durban – almost certainly the result of disproportionately intense sampling effort at these locations. Forty-nine percent of species are endemic, slightly above the average for the South African marine fauna (31%), but well within the range shown by component taxa. Endemics are absent in the north-west, but otherwise comprise a fairly consistent proportion of species in each region. The fact that existing records are strongly biased towards a few centres of high sampling activity, indicates a pressing need for additional systematic collection of this group in under-represented areas.