Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems

Table 1. Zooxanthellate scleractinian coral species observed below 50 m off La Parguera Puerto Rico.

Zooxanthellate scleractinian coral species observed below 50 metres - o La Parguera, Puerto Rico

- Whitestar sheet coral Agaricia lamarcki

Scolymia cubensis

Undaria agaricites

Stephanocoenia intersepta

- Lettuce coral

- Blushing star coral

- Artichoke coral

- Scroll plate coral Agaricia undata*

- Deep thin lettuce coral Leptoseris cailleti*

- Massive starlet coral Siderastrea siderea

- Smooth ower coral Eusmilia fastigiata

- Dimpled sheet coral Agaricia grahamae*

- Boulder star coral Orbicella franksi

- Mustard hill coral Porites astreoides

Dichocoenia stockesii

- Elliptical star coral

- Knobby cactus coral Mycetophyllia aliciae

Montastraea cavernosa

Agaricia fragilis* - Fragile saucer coral

- Ridgeless cactus coral Mycetophyllia reesi*

- Great star coral

Undaria humilis

Madracis pharensis #

* not common above 50 metres # both zooxanthellae and azooxaenthellae forms

- Low relief lettuce coral

- Star coral

Table 2. Rank of top four fish species occurring at mesophotic depths off La Parguera, Puerto Rico (Data from Bejarano et al. 2014).

Rank of top four sh in four depth zones

Depth in metres

Species

Common name

40

50

60

70

1

Masked goby

Coryphopterus personatus

1

1

2

2

Creole wrasse

Clepticus parrae

3

Bicolor damsel sh

Stegastes partitus

Chromis insolata

Sunshine sh

4

2

2

1

Yellowhead wrasse

Halichoeres garnoti

3

3

3.5

Blue chromis

Chromis cyanea

4

Chalk bass

Serranus tortugarum

4

Chromis scotti

Purple ree sh

3.5

parrotfish). Xanthichthys ringens (sargassum triggerfish) is also common down to 60 m. At 50 m or deeper, fish assemblages are dominated (in terms of density) by planktivores; dominance which progressively increases with depth. While constituting only 18 per cent of fish species, zooplanktivores make up over 80 per cent

species observed from 40 to 70 m. The most common and abundant species found only below 40 m is the sunshine fish, Chromis insolata , representing on average 23 per cent of the individuals within transects. Additional common species are Liopropoma mowbrayi (cave basslet), Lutjanus buccanella (blackfin snapper), Prognathodes aculeatus (longsnout butterflyfish) and Sparisoma atomarium (greenblotch

MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS – A LIFEBOAT FOR CORAL REEFS? 48

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