Keywords
weight-diameter
coloration
Lytechinus variegatus
Venezuela
How to Cite
Abstract
In Margarita and Cabagua Islands, Venezuela, the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus is consumed as food but few studies concern its biology. Between January 1999 and September 2000, 25 localities of Margarita and Cubagua islands we visited to determinate the relationship between diameter and weight of living urchins according to their coloration green or white. A total of 5 066 urchins (3 421 captured in Margarita and 1 645 in Cubagua) were measured. There is no significant difference in the weight-diameter relations of green or white sea urchins of both islands. The weight-diameter equation is P = 0.00246 D2.52. Utilizing a quadrant (0.5 X 0.5 m) monthly samples of urchins living in a 2 m2 of surface were taken to estimate the abundance of the specimens according their color (N = 6 948 urchins). The green urchins were more abundant than the white urchins, in a 3:2 proportion.References
Anónimo. 1994. STSC, Statgraphics Parts 1-9. STSC, Maryland, USA. Allain, J. 1978. Deformation du test chez l’oursin Lytechinus variegatus (Lamarck) (Echinoidea) de la Baie de Carthagene.
Caldasia 12: 363-375. Colin, P. 1978. Caribbean Reef Invertebrates and Plants. T.F.H., Neptune City, Nueva Jersey. 512 p.
Gómez, A. 1996. Causas de la fertilidad marina en el nororiente de Venezuela. Interciencia 21: 140-146.
Gómez, A. 1999. Los recursos marinos renovables del Estado Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. Biología y pesca de las especies comerciales. Tomo I. Invertebrados y algas. Organización Gráficas Capriles, Caracas. 208 p.
Gómez, A. 2000a. Abundancia de Lytechinus variegatus (Echinoidea: Toxopneustidae) en la isla de Cubagua, Venezuela. Rev. Biol. Trop. 48 (Supl. 1): 125-131.
Gómez, A. 2000b. Abundancia relativa del erizo Lytechinus variegatus (Lamarck) en la costa sur de la isla de Margarita, Venezuela. Acta Ecol. Mus. Mar. Margarita, 2: 31-39.
Gómez, A. 2001. Abundancia del erizo Lytechinus variegatus (Lamarck) en la costa norte, este y oeste de la isla de Margarita (Venezuela). Acta Cient. Venez. 53: 210-215.
Gutiérrez, J. & I. Otsu. 1975. Periodicidad en las variaciones biométricas de Loxechinus albidus Molina. Rev. Biol. Mar. 15: 179-199.
Hagen,N.T. 1996. Echinoculture: from fishery enhancement to close-cycle cultivation. World Aquacult. 27: 6-19.
Hendler, G., J. Miller., D. Pawson & K. Porter, 1995. Sea Stars, Sea Urchins and Allies. Echinoderms of Florida and the Caribbean. Smithson. Inst., Washington, D.C. 390 p.
Malavé, M. 1995. Caracterización y cuantificación del contenido lipídico y de ácidos grasos en dos especies de erizos de mar: Lytechinus variegatus y Echinometra lucunter. Tesis de Pregrado, Univ. Oriente, Cumaná, Venezuela. 47 p.
Martínez, A. 1986. Equinodermos de la isla de Aves, Venezuela. Bol. Inst. Oceanogr. Venez., Univ. Oriente 25: 195-213.
Montealegre, S. 1999. Aspectos biológicos del erizo Lytechinus variegatus (Lamarck) (Echinodermata: Echinoidea: Toxopneustidae) en tres localidades del sur de la Isla de Margarita, Venezuela. Tesis de Pregrado, Univ. Oriente, Isla Margarita, Venezuela. 112 p.
Ricker, W. 1975. Computation and interpretation of biological statistics of fish populations. Bull. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 191: 1-382.
Rodríguez, J. & F. Lozada. 1986. Efecto del apacentamiento de Lytechinus variegatus y Echinometra lucunter sobre las comunidades marinas de la Bahía de Mochima. Bol. Inst. Oceanogr. Venez., Univ. Oriente 25: 69-84.
Scheibling, R. & P. Mladenov. 1998. Distribution, abundance and size structure of Tripneustes ventricosus on traditional fishing grounds following the collapse of the sea urchin fishery in Barbados. p. 449-455. In R. Burke, P. Mladenov, P. Lambert & R. Parsley. (eds.). Echinoderm Biology. Balkema, Rotterdam.
Voss, G. 1976. Seashore Life of Florida and the Caribbean. E.A. Seemann, Miami. 170 p.
Zoppi, E. 1967. Contribución al estudio de los Equinodermos de Venezuela. Acta Biol. Venez. 5: 267-283.
Comments
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2003 Revista de Biología Tropical