Vol. 47 No. 182 (2023)

Brittle star Hemipholis cordifera, species recorded for the first time in Colombia in the work of Nisperuza-Pérez et al. published in this issue. The species, previously reported in the United States of America, México, Panamá, Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, is found in coral reefs, sponges, and submerged rocky, muddy, and sandy bottoms. The two individuals of the star reported here were found on the muddy and sandy floors of the Bay of Cispatá, on the Colombian Caribbean Coast. This new record reminds us that the knowledge of the marine fauna of the Caribbean and Pacific oceans is still incipient, despite the institutional efforts made in the country (Invemar, universities, Ph. D.s in Ocean Sciences, CEMarin, Navy research centers, and national natural parks), and therefore, it is key to continue registering the fauna in our seas and coasts (which represent about 50% of the Colombian territory), to really understand our biodiversity and establish the value it represents for our country.

Doi: https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.1778

Jaime R. Cantera K.
Profesor Titular Emérito
Grupo de Investigación Ecología de Estuarios y Manglares – ECOMANGLARES,
Departamento de Biología, Universidad del
Valle, Cali