First record of <i>Odontaster penicillatus</i> populations (Philippi, 1870) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in the Atacama and Antofagasta regions, Chile (Southeast Pacific)

First record of Odontaster penicillatus populations (Philippi, 1870) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in the Atacama and Antofagasta regions, Chile (Southeast Pacific)

PDF

Leonardo Campos¹^,²^,^*, Fernando Berrios⁵, Brenda B. Hermosillo-Núñez³, Marco Ortiz³^,⁴

Acta Oceanologica Sinica | 2022, 41(12) : 152 - 155

Less

Acta Oceanologica Sinica | 2022, 41(12): 152-155

• Research Note •

First record of Odontaster penicillatus populations (Philippi, 1870) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in the Atacama and Antofagasta regions, Chile (Southeast Pacific)

Full

Leonardo Campos¹^,²^,^*, Fernando Berrios⁵, Brenda B. Hermosillo-Núñez³, Marco Ortiz³^,⁴

Affiliations

¹ Departamento de Ciencias Acuáticas y Ambientales, Universidad de Antofagasta Chile, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile

² Centro de Investigaciones Costeras Universidad de Atacama (CIC-UDA), Avenida Copayapu 485, Copiapó 1530000, Chile

³ Laboratorio de Modelamiento de Sistemas Ecológicos Complejos (LAMSEC), Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile

⁴ Instituto de Ciencias Naturales AvH, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile

⁵ Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Posgrado, Universidad Católica Del Maule, Campus San Miguel, Talca 3480094, Chile

Published: 2022-12-25 doi: 10.1007/s13131-021-1957-1

Outline

Abstract

Less

We report for the first time the presence of local populations of the starfish Odontaster penicillatus in the regions of Atacama and Antofagasta, Chile. This finding indicates an extension of the distribution limit of 500 km with respect to the last observation made in 2007 in Isla Grande de Atacama. A total of 121 specimens of O. penicillatus were recorded at depths of between 8 m and 24 m. They were associated with rocky substrate and with different species of barnacles, sponges and bryozoans. The presence of O. penicillatus expands the knowledge of the benthic biodiversity of the region, and the development of studies on its ecological importance will be promoted.

Key words

Odontaster penicillatus / new record / Antofagasta / Atacama / South Pacific Ocean

Cite this Article

Leonardo Campos, Fernando Berrios, Brenda B. Hermosillo-Núñez, Marco Ortiz. First record of Odontaster penicillatus populations (Philippi, 1870) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in the Atacama and Antofagasta regions, Chile (Southeast Pacific)[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2022 , 41 (12) : 152 -155 . DOI: 10.1007/s13131-021-1957-1

Full Text

Less

1 Introduction

Less

Sea stars are common invertebrates in benthic communities, acting as omnivorous, opportunistic (Martín et al., 2001), predatory, herbivorous, detritivorous or scavenging species (Dayton et al., 1974; McClintock, 1994; Gil and Zaisxo, 2008; Loh and Todd, 2011). In the Southern Ocean and southern South America, the genus Odontaster is represented by five species of sea stars: Odontaster meridionalis (E.A. Smith, 1876), O. validus (Koheler, 1906), O. penicillatus (Phillipi, 1870), O. pearsei (Janosik and Halanych, 2010) and O. roseus (Janosik and Halanych, 2010) (Janosik and Halanych 2010, Janosik et al., 2011). In the Subantarctic and Antarctic zones of Chile, the species O. meridionalis, O. validus and O. penicillatus stand out (Vasquez et al., 1980).

The asteroid O. penicillatus is distributed in the Pacific Ocean between 27°S Large Island of Atacama to 54°S Strait of Magellan Chile (SE Pacific) and in 36°S in the Atlantic Ocean and Falkland Islands (SW Atlantic) 51°S (Mutschke and Rios, 2006; Gaymer et al., 2008; Mutschke and Mah, 2009) , inhabiting depths from 8 m to 400 m (Codoceo and Andrade, 1978). In Chile, the main area of distribution of O. penicillatus is limited to the Subantarctic and Antarctic regions. However, the most recent information on the distribution of this species was provided by Gaymer et al. (2008), who registered O. penicillatus inhabiting hard substrates (~25 m depth) in the Isla Grande de Atacama (Pacific Ocean) at approximately 27°S. In the present study, we report for the first time an extension of the distribution of the starfish O. penicillatus, more than 500 km to the north with respect to the last record of its distribution, in the Mejillones Peninsula (Antofagasta) and intermediate zones in the Atacama region of Chile.

2 Materials and methods

Less

Between August 2017 and February 2021, sampling was conducted in different sectors of coastal areas, located in the southeastern Pacific between parallels 28°19'S (Atacama region) and 23°27'S (Antofagasta region). This coastal zone is strongly influenced by the Humboldt Current System (HCS) and is characterised as one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world (Thiel et al., 2007).

Photographs and video recordings were taken of O. penicillatus specimens in the subtidal benthic environments, and eventually organisms of this echinoderm were collected. It is important to note that the sampling was carried out during assessments for benthic fishery resources in Management Areas for Exploitation of Benthic Resources and in open access management areas on the northern coast of Chile, and as such, the sampling design was not designed to assess communities. The particular shape, colour and size of O. penicillatus caught the attention of the divers, and they made the visual records and collection without considering a rigorous experimental design. Organisms were identified to species taxonomic level based on Mutschke and Mah (2009).

3 Results

Less

A total of 121 specimens of O. penicillatus were recognised; 34 were observed on rocky bottoms dominated by the cirripedium Austromegabalanus psittacus south of Isla Grande de Atacama at Punta de Lobos (28°19'S) (Figs 1a and 2), 41 specimens were observed on rocky bottoms with the sponge Tedonia mucosa north of Isla Grande at Playa del Rodillo in the Atacama (26°58'S) (Figs 1b and 2) and 46 individuals were observed on rocky bottoms with Bugula spp. bryozoans and the sponge T. mucosa at Isla Santa María Península de Mejillones (23°27'S) (Figs 1c, d and 2). The organisms presented a R radius (center to the tip of the arm) from 1 cm to 2 cm, and r (center to a notch) from 0.6 cm to 1.4 cm and showed a central pink colour and a pale yellow rim as well as actinolateral plates covered with spines. Viewed from above, the granuliform marginal plates form a prominent rim (Mutschke and Mah, 2009). All individuals were recorded at a depth of 8 m, with the exception of Isla Santa María (Mejillones Peninsula), where O. penicillatus was recorded in a bathymetric range between 18 m and 24 m. It is relevant to mention that there is no record of any other asteroid species similar to O. penicillatus in the study area.

4 Discussion

Less

The existence of local populations of O. penicillatus in the Atacama and Antofagasta regions suggests an expansion of its distribution in the Pacific Ocean of South America. Due to the lack of biological and ecological studies of this asteroid, the causes of this expanded distribution are still unclear. Studies conducted with the starfish O. validus in the Antarctic region have shown that the increase in water temperature can cause loss of coordination in organisms, while other studies indicate that adults can acclimatise to higher temperatures than usual (Peck et al., 2008; Kidawa et al., 2010). Regarding O. penicillatus, its main distribution area has a sea surface temperature of <5℃ (SHOA), while at the site of the last observation, average values of 13.7℃ (SHOA) were recorded, and at the limit of records found in this study (Mejillones Peninsula), an average temperature of 14.7℃ (SHOA) was recorded. In this context, it can be suggested that temperature is not a conditional factor in the distribution of O. penicillatus. However, this assertion should be taken with caution because there are no corroborating studies.

On the other hand, studies with asteroids suggest that the planktotrophic larval stage may help the distribution of the organisms, because the larvae obtain necessary energy from the nutrients present in the water column, which reduces larval mortality (Tyler et al., 1990; Benítez-Villalobos et al., 2007). In addition, it has been shown that the larval stages of sea stars have a prolonged duration in the water column and a high dispersal capacity (Moran et al., 1992). In the species O. validus, its planctotrophic larvae can remain in the water column for 180 days (Pearse and Bosch, 1986). In the present study, the sectors where O. penicillatus was recorded are strongly influenced by the HCS, which would imply that this nutrient-rich marine current is an optimal source of energy for the planctotrophic larvae of O. penicillatus. Likewise, the south-to-north flow of the Humboldt Current could favour the transport of larvae to areas outside their frequent distribution area. In addition, it should be considered that kelp rafting might contribute to broaden the dispersal of sea stars, as occurs with the genus Anasterias (Waters et al., 2018).

The present report contributes to an increase in the scarce information on echinoderm species present in northern Chile and highlights the presence of populations of O. penicillatus in the Atacama and Antofagasta regions. In South America, different species of echinoderms reach 18% endemism (Arntz et al., 1997), so it is important to improve the knowledge of these invertebrates in this region. Recent studies in coastal areas of northern Chile have shown the importance of asteroids and their direct and indirect interactions as part of a complex of key species, where they contribute to the complexity and resistance to disturbances in macroalgal forest ecosystems (Hermosillo-Núñez, 2020). Therefore, the presence of O. penicillatus will expand the knowledge about the asteroids of northern Chile and will increase the generation of studies on their ecological role in these ecosystems.

Acknowledgements

Less

Thanks to Carlos Alvarez and Cristian Godoy for their kindness in sharing photographs and videos of Odontaster penicillatus specimens.

References

Less

Arntz W E, Gutt J, Klages M. 1997. Antarctic marine biodiversity: an overview. In: Battaglia B, Valencia J, Walton D W H, eds. Antarctic Communities: Species, Structure and Survival. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 3–14

Benítez-Villalobos F, Díaz-Martínez J P, Tyler P A. 2007. Biología reproductiva del asteroideo de mar profundo Henricia abyssicola en el Atlántico NE. Ciencias Marinas (in Spanish), 33(1): 49–58, doi: 10.7773/cm.v33i1.329

Codoceo M, Andrade H. 1978. Asterozoos arquibentónicos de Chile central. Anales del Museo de Historia Natural (in Spanish), 11: 153–174

Dayton P K, Robilliard G A, Paine R T, et al. 1974. Biological accommodation in the benthic community at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Ecological Monographs, 44(1): 105–128, doi: 10.2307/1942321

Gaymer C F, Rojas U, Squeo F A, et al. 2008. AMCP-MU Isla Grande de Atacama: Flora y Fauna Marina y Terrestre. In: Saqueo F A, Arancio G, Gutiérrez J R, eds. Libro Rojo de la Flora Nativa y de los Sitios prioritarios para su Conservación: Región de Atacama (in Spanish). La Serena: Ediciones Universidad de La Serena, 12: 223–249

Gil D G, Zaisxo H E. 2008. Feeding ecology of the subantarctic sea star Anasterias minuta within tide pools in Patagonia, Argentina. Revista de Biologia Tropical, 56(S3): 311–328

Hermosillo-Núñez B B. 2020. Contribution of echinoderms to keystone species complexes and macroscopic properties in kelp forest ecosystems (northern Chile). Hydrobiologia, 847(3): 739–756, doi: 10.1007/s10750-019-04134-8

Janosik A M, Halanych K M. 2010. Unrecognized Antarctic biodiversity: a case study of the genus Odontaster (Odontasteridae; Asteroidea). Integrative and Comparative Biology, 50(6): 981–992, doi: 10.1093/icb/icq119

Janosik A M, Mahon A R, Halanych K M. 2011. Evolutionary history of Southern Ocean Odontaster sea star species (Odontasteridae; Asteroidea). Polar Biology, 34(4): 575–586, doi: 10.1007/s00300-010-0916-7

Kidawa J, Potocka M, Janecki T. 2010. The effects of temperature on the behaviour of the Antarctic sea star Odontaster validus. Polish Polar Research, 31(3): 273–284, doi: 10.2478/v10183-010-0003-3

Loh K S, Todd P A. 2011. Diet and feeding in the sea star Astropecten indicus (Döderlein, 1888). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 59(2): 251–258

Martín A, Penchaszadeh P, Atienza D. 2001. Densidad y hábitos alimentarios de Oreaster reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Echinodermata, Asteroidea) en praderas de fanerógamas marinas de Venezuela. Boletín Instituto Español de Oceanografía (in Spanish), 17(1–2): 203–208

McClintock J B. 1994. Trophic biology of Antarctic shallow-water echinoderms. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 111: 191–202, doi: 10.3354/meps111191

Moran P J, De’ath G, Baker V J, et al. 1992. Pattern of outbreaks of crown-of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci L. ) along the Great Barrier Reef since 1966. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 43(3): 555–567, doi: 10.1071/MF9920555

Mutschke E, Mah C. 2009. Asteroidea–Estrellas de mar. In: Häussermann V, Försterra G, eds. Santiago: Nature in focus, 801–830

Mutschke E, Rios C. 2006. Distribución espacial y abundancia relativa de equinodermos en el estrecho de Magallanes, Chile. Ciencia y Tecnología del Mar (in Spanish), 29(1): 91–102

Pearse J S, Bosch I. 1986. Are the feeding larvae of the commonest antarctic asteroid really demersal?. Bulletin of Marine Science, 39(2): 477–484

Peck L S, Webb K E, Miller A, et al. 2008. Temperature limits to activity, feeding and metabolism in the Antarctic starfish Odontaster validus. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 358: 181–189, doi: 10.3354/meps07336

Thiel M, Macaya E C, Acuña E, et al. 2007. The humboldt current system of northern and central Chile: Oceanographic processes, ecological interactions and socioeconomic feedback. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 45: 195–344, doi: 10.1201/9781420050943.ch6

Tyler P A, Billett D S M, Gage J D. 1990. Seasonal reproduction in the seastar Dytaster grandis from 4000 m in the north-east Atlantic Ocean. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 70(1): 173–180, doi: 10.1017/S0025315400034299

Vasquez H A, Retamales P B, Rojas M C. 1980. Consideraciones biogeográficas y ecológicas de equinodermos arquibentónicos de Chile central (com excepción de Crinoidea). Boletim do Instituto Oceanografico, Sao Paulo (in Spanish), 29(2): 37–39

Waters J M, King T M, Fraser C I, et al. 2018. Rafting dispersal in a brooding southern sea star (Asteroidea: Anasterias). Invertebrate Systematics, 32(2): 253–258, doi: 10.1071/IS17037

Appendix

Less

Year 2022 volume 41 Issue 12

PDF

Cite this Article

BibTeX

Article Info

doi: 10.1007/s13131-021-1957-1

Receive Date：2021-06-23
Online Date：2025-11-21
Published：2022-12-25

Article Data

Affiliations

History

Received：2021-06-23
Accepted：2021-11-15

Affiliations

¹ Departamento de Ciencias Acuáticas y Ambientales, Universidad de Antofagasta Chile, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile

² Centro de Investigaciones Costeras Universidad de Atacama (CIC-UDA), Avenida Copayapu 485, Copiapó 1530000, Chile

³ Laboratorio de Modelamiento de Sistemas Ecológicos Complejos (LAMSEC), Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile

⁴ Instituto de Ciencias Naturales AvH, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile

⁵ Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Posgrado, Universidad Católica Del Maule, Campus San Miguel, Talca 3480094, Chile

Corresponding:

* E-mail: leonard.campos@gmail.com

References

Share

https://castjournals.cast.org.cn/joweb/aos/EN/10.1007/s13131-021-1957-1

Share to

Scan QR to access full text

Cite this article

BibTeX

Citations

表12种不同金属材料的力学参数

科 Family	属数 Number of genus	种数 Number of species	占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%)	属 Genus	种数 Number of species	占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%)
鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae	2	11	5.26	鹅膏菌属 Amanita	10	4.78
小菇科 Mycenaceae	2	12	5.74	丝盖伞属 Inocybe	5	2.39
多孔菌科 Polyporaceae	8	14	6.70	蜡蘑属 Laccaria	5	2.39
红菇科 Russulaceae	3	23	11.00	小皮伞属 Marasmius	6	2.87
				小菇属 Mycena	11	5.26
				光柄菇属 Pluteus	5	2.39
				红菇属 Russula	17	8.13
				栓菌属 Trametes	5	2.39

关闭全屏

BibTeX
EndNote
RefWorks
TxT

Fig. 1. Photographic records of Odontaster penicillatus in subtidal environments of northern Chile. a. Odontaster penicillatus collected at Punta de Lobos, Atacama, Chile. b. Specimens of O. penicillatus collected at Rodillo Atacama, Chile. c. Individual of O. penicillatus photographed in its marine habitat at Mejillones Peninsula, Antofagasta, Chile. d. Group of O. penicillatus photographed on the seafloor at Mejillones Peninsula.

Fig. 2. Distribution area of Odontaster penicillatus in the Pacific Ocean coast of South America. The black bar indicates their frequent distribution area. The gray bar indicates the extended distribution area of O. penicillatus recorded in the present study. The small rectangles show the sites and geographic coordinates where the specimens were photographed and collected. The last report in 2008 is highlighted in black letters.

Articles: Latest Articles; Most Read; Collections

Updates: Events; News; Multimedia

About: About Us

Contact

No. 86 Xueyuan South Road, Haidian District, Beijing

100081

010-62199257

qkjq@cast.org.cn

Copyright © 2025 China Association for Science and Technology. All rights reserved. For all open access content, the relevant licensing terms apply.
Sponsored by the Office of the Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization of CAST, and supported by Science and Technology Review Publishing House