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Vol. 50 No. 3, 2011
Shallow-Water Brachycnemic Zoanthids (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) from Taiwan: A Preliminary Survey
James D. Reimer1,2,*, Masami Obuchi1, Yuka Irei3, Takuma Fujii3, and Yoko Nozawa4
1Molecular
Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Rising Star Program,
Transdisciplinary Research Organization for Subtropical Island Studies
(TRO-SIS), Univ. of the Ryukyus, Senbaru 1, Nishihara, Okinawa
903-0213, Japan
2Marine Biodiversity Research
Program, Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth
Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, Kanagawa
237-0061, Japan
3Molecular Invertebrate
Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Marine Science,
Univ. of the Ryukyus, Senbaru 1, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
4Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
James D. Reimer, Masami Obuchi, Yuka Irei, Takuma Fujii, and Yoko Nozawa (2011) Zoanthids
are benthic cnidarians commonly seen in shallow coral reef and
subtropical marine ecosystems, and are increasingly being utilized as
research subjects for marine products and biodiversity studies.
However, their distributions and overall species diversity remain
relatively unknown except for in a few regions of the world, including
southern Japan. Here, for the 1st time, the shallow-water diversity of
zoanthids of the suborder Brachycnemina, which primarily includes
zooxanthellate species, was examined in Taiwanese waters. Species
diversity surveys conducted at coral reef (Kenting and Lyudao) and
non-reefal (Keelung) locations revealed 12 zoanthid species (Acrozoanthus australiae, Isaurus tuberculatus, Zoanthus gigantus, Z. kuroshio, Z. sansibaricus, Z. aff. vietnamensis, Palythoa heliodiscus, P. mutuki, P. tuberculosa, Palythoa
sp. tokashiki, unknown Palythoa spp., and another unknown zoanthid),
most of which are new records for Taiwan. All 3 locations had totals of
7-10 species present, with the 2 coral reef locations resembling
locations with coral reefs in Okinawa (e.g., by the presence of Z. kuroshio, P. heliodiscus, Palythoa
sp. tokashiki), while the zoanthid community at Keelung was more
similar to zoanthids observed at subtropical Shikoku, Japan (e.g., by
the presence of Z. aff. vietnamensis and large Z. gigantus colonies). It is possible that the unknown Palythoa
specimens constitute 1 or more species new to science, and further
investigation of these zoanthids is needed. It is hoped that the
species lists provided in this study will help provide a basis for
future zoanthid research in Taiwan.
Key words: Taiwan, Kuroshio Current, Biodiversity, Zoanthid.
*Correspondence: Tel: 81-98-8958542. Fax: 81-98-8958577. E-mail:jreimer@sci.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
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