Apr 23, 2024
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A HOTSPOT OF SEA STAR BIODIVERSITY UNCOVERED IN RAPA NUI — THE MOST ISOLATED ISLAND IN THE WORLD
Recent expeditions to Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island) have revealed amazing undescribed sea star species from unexplored mesophotic coral reefs and also, from deeper depths never reached before.
In a recent work published in Zootaxa, Dr Christopher Mah, a eminence in echinoderms, describe three new species for Rapa Nui, but also other news species from adjacent region in the South Pacific.
- Uokeaster ahi, named for the Rapa Nui marine deity Uoke, who submerged Rapa Nui into the ocean using a large lever, and ahi for the local word for fire. Is endemic from the waters around Rapa Nui. Photo by Terry Gosliner.
- Hacelia raaraa inhabit at depth of 80 m below surface sea, where light still pass. It is found in rocky bottoms, among hydroids and algae.
This new species is named by the rapanui word ra’ara’a for “rough and rugged” alluding to the very bumpy surface texture seen in this species. Photo by Dr. Luiz Rocha.
- Linckia profunda is one of the deepest known species in the area, and its name profunda alludes to the deep bathymetric range of this species. Arms in this species are unequal in length, round in cross-section, with an irregular surface. It is found in Rapa Nui, but also in other areas in the South Pacific. Photo by Dr. Luiz Rocha.
These findings highlight the uniqueness of these marine ecosystems and how much we still do not know about the sea. Therefore, the importance of considering them in the establishment of efective management strategies for these communities, which are within the Rapa Nui marine-protected area created in 2017.
Reference: Mah, 2021. The East Pacific/South Pacific Boundary: New taxa and occurrences from Rapa Nui (Easter Island), New Caledonia and adjacent regions Zootaxa.
[Photo description: Uokeaster ahi have short arms with robust and rounded spikes, similar to spheres. Hacelia raaraa have long arms, with numerous dome-like tubercles forming lines along the surface of body and arms, giving it a rough appearance. Linckia profunda have long and slim arms, with plane ]
The bishokukai might've joined the side of good, but their hideout still looks stereotypically evil.