Biological factors associated with the presence of Acanthaster cf. solaris (Schreber,1793) on reefs of the National Park of Espíritu Santo Archipelago (PNZMAES), in La Paz Bay, (Baja California Sur, Mexico)

Abstract

The crown of thorns starfish Acanthaster cf. solaris (Schreber, 1793) has been studied since the 1960s for its great ability to cause large-scale damage to coral reefs in the IndoPacific. In the Eastern Pacific, A. solaris is considered harmless, however in recent years coral mortality from predation has increased. For this reason, the purpose of this study is to analyze the changes produced in the fish and invertebrate communities that could be related with the presence of this star. The results that indicate the variation in the species composition of fish and invertebrate communities of the Espiritu Santo Archipelago Marine Zone National Park (Baja California, Mexico) are not related to the presence or absence of the starfish (p>0.05). However, the differences in the composition of the invertebrates fauna are associated with the characteristics of each locality (p=0.001) and year (p<0.05). On the other hand, the variation in the fish community is also related with the characteristics of the different locations (p=0.001), but also with the depth of sampling (p=0.001).