Filling the gaps: first record of the Crown-of-thorns Starfish, Acanthaster planci (Linnaeus, 1758) (Spinulosida: Acanthasteridae), at Gorgona Island, Colombia, Tropical Eastern Pacific
Fernando Zapata,
María Palacios,
Valentina Zambrano,
Melina Rodríguez-Moreno
Affiliations
Fernando Zapata
Coral Reef Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Aéreo 25360, Cali, Colombia
María Palacios
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and College of Marine & Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville 4811, QLD, Australia
Coral Reef Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Aéreo 25360, Cali, Colombia
Valentina Zambrano
Coral Reef Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Aéreo 25360, Cali, Colombia
Melina Rodríguez-Moreno
Coral Reef Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Aéreo 25360, Cali, Colombia
Fundación Ecomares, Calle 39N # 3CN-89. Cali, Colombia
We report the occurrence of a major corallivore, the Crown-of-thorns Starfish Acanthaster planci, on the coral reefs of Gorgona Island, Tropical Eastern Pacific. Three individuals were sighted on opposite sides of the island, where they fed on small coral colonies of Pavona varians and Pocillopora damicornis. These sightings are noteworthy in light of reports that have demonstrated that the geographic distribution of A. planci is gradually increasing in the equatorial eastern Pacific, particularly south of the Gulf of Chiriquí (Panama) where it was previously absent.
