Renato Ventura

• Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Rhodolith beds are predominantly formed by calcareous red algae with a rich benthic fauna. Nonetheless, little is known about the biota relationships with their structural variability. Rhodolith shape, size and vitality were examined from 22 sampling stations in dense and sparse areas of a mesophotic rhodolith bed in the Campos Basin, Brazil locate...

To date, evidence regarding the performance of secondary metabolites from larval stages of sea stars as an anti-predation defense relates only to a few species/specimens from a few geographic ranges. Unfortunately, this hinders a comprehensive global understanding of this inter-specific predator-prey interaction. Here, we present laboratory experim...

Introduction: Cassiduloids play a prominent role in echinoid evolutionary history because they probably are the ancestral group of clypeasteroids. Some extant species are brooding and rare in the environment. Consequently, there are no studies on their maintenance in the laboratory. Objective: Establish an efficient aquarium system for C. mitis, e...

Introduction: The locomotion behavior of an organism involves the integration of aspects like body symmetry, sensory and locomotor systems. Furthermore, various ecological factors seem to be related to locomotion characteristics, such as foraging strategy, migration trends, response to predators and competitors, and environmental stress. Objective...

This study aimed to address the Ophiothela species distribution worldwide, report invasive populations, and investigate their association with benthic organisms through an extensive review of the scientific literature. All six Ophiothela species occur between latitudes 33º S and 38º N and, together, are dispersed across 75% of the marine realms. Sp...

The sea star Echinaster (Othilia) brasiliensis is frequently found in coral reef habitats, but can also occur in sandy and rocky bottoms. Anthropogenic pressure on these ecosystems led this species to a vulnerable conservation status. Here, the completed mitochondrial genome of E. (O) brasiliensis was described for the first time, representing the...

The ophiuroid Ophiothela mirabilis Verrill, 1867 is a potentially invasive non-indigenous species on the Brazilian coast. Here, we describe the population size structure and the asexual reproduction of this species and estimate its somatic growth in two localities within a distance of 300 km from each other: Angra dos Reis and Armação dos Búzios. S...

Aim Our aim was to uncover patterns of distribution of marine subtidal rocky reef communities across six taxonomic groups and decompose the relative roles of species loss and turnover in total community variation. Additionally, we propose an easily calculated index that can be used to highlight areas with unique species composition for conservation...

Genetic variation and population structure of the sea star Coscinasterias tenuispina were investigated using allozyme electrophoresis (seven polymorphic loci out of nine sampled) at seven sites on the coast of Rio de Janeiro State. Observed values of heterozygosity’s were high (HOBS = 0.31-0.53), although similar to those found for others marine in...

Echinoderms are restricted to the marine environment and are osmoconformer invertebrates. However, some species live in unstable environments. Especially those species, and those of larger body size, tend to show variable, albeit transient, ionic gradients between their coelomic fluid and external seawater. In order to further examine how sea urchi...

Intraspecific genetic diversity and divergence have a large influence on the adaption and evolutionary potential of species. The widely distributed starfish, Coscinasterias tenuispina, combines sexual reproduction with asexual reproduction via fission. Here we analyse the phylogeography of this starfish to reveal historical and contemporary process...

The genus Pseudoboletia was recently reported off coast of Brazil (Trindade-Martin Vaz insular complex). This study reports the first record of this genus to southern of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina coasts. Morphological and molecular data showed that sea urchins from Brazil and São Tomé are the same species, genetically distinct of...

The sea star Asterina stellifera has declined during the last decade and is currently abundant only in the southern limit of its former range. We surveyed this population over 5 years to model individual growth and explore the relationship of changes in local abundance with variation in environmental factors and the reproductive status of individua...

In this study, we used sequences of two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA, and one nuclear gene, 28S rRNA, to test the monophyly of the sea star genus Echinaster, and understand the phylogenetic relationships among species and subgenera within this genus. Phylogenetic analyses based on Bayesian inference and maximum lik...

Paracentrotus gaimardi is a sea urchin reaching a maximum of 42 mm of diameter. It presents five morphotypes in sympatry characterized by their distinctive spine colors (e.g., green, black, gray, brown and rose). P. gaimardi is considered as a vulnerable species and it is included on the list of endangered species of the Brazilian coastline. In thi...

Paracentrotus gaimardi is a sea urchin reaching a maximum of 42 mm of diameter. It presents five morphotypes in sympatry characterized by their distinctive spine colors (e.g., green, black, gray, brown and rose). P. gaimardi is considered as a vulnerable species and it is included on the list of endangered species of the Brazilian coastline. In thi...

We describe the development and juvenile morphology of the sea star Echinaster (Othilia) brasiliensis in order to explore evolutionary developmental modes and skeletal homologies. This species produces large, buoyant eggs (0.6 [1] 0.03 mm diameter), and has a typical lecithotrophic brachiolaria larva. The planktonic brachiolaria larva is formed 2–4...

New records of Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) of the Brazilian coast, with notes on its taxonomy and distribution

We investigated the current patterns of diversity by country and by class of echinoderms, and analyzed their biogeographical, depth, and habitat or substratum affinities, using the database of the appendix of this book. Traditionally, the area has been divided into five biogeographical Regions and nine Provinces that cover a wide climate range. Cur...

The Brazilian Ministry of the Environment organized in 2004–2005 a national program to evaluate the existing information on invasive species in terrestrial and aquatic biomes. A list of 58 exotic species of planktonic and benthic invertebrates, fish, macroalgae, and phytoplankton, updated till late 2008, was generated in a marine ecosystem assessme...

Geographical implications of seasonal reproduction in the bat star Asterina stellifera, Journal of Sea Research (2013), doi: 10.1016/j.seares.2013.05.006 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will underg...

Clark and Downey (1992) stated the distribution of Luidia clathrata (Say, 1825) is from Virginia, USA to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico. Hopkins & Knott (2010) erected a new species, Luidia lawrencei, from L. clathrata. We examined collections to establish the identity of specimens and their distribution. Luidia clathrata is found in...

This chapter aims to present historical development of echinoderm studies and current research in Brazil. Information about the important geographic and oceanographic features of the Brazilian coast is highlighted. Several aspects of taxonomy, distribution, reproduction, development, immunology, physiology and ecology of echinoderms found in both s...

Five color morphs of Paracentrotus gaimardi can be distinguished along the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: black, brown, gray, green, and pink. All co-occur and are apparently exposed to similar environmental conditions. This study compares the morphology of these color morphs and investigates their gametic compatibility. All specimens of the five...

Cassiduloids are currently rare irregular echinoids with a highly conserved adult morphology. Aristotle’s lantern is present only during the post-metamorphic stage, and little is known about the early development of species in this group. Cassidulus mitis produces eggs of about 375μm in diameter, lecithotrophic larvae with four reduced arms with sk...

Some species of sea urchins feature large variation in pigmentation. This variability may be the result of phenotypic plasticity or it may be associated with genetic divergence between morphs. Paracentrotus gaimardi exhibits five colour morphs (pink, brown, green, grey and black), which often occur side by side on the same rock. We studied genetic...

Encope emarginata has an extensive distribution range, from the northwestern Carribean into Argentina. Morphological comparisons of seven populations from the southern to northeastern coast (RS, PR, PA, AR, CF, ES and BA) were based on 33 measured features. The geographical range surveyed was ca. 3,000 km (from 32°S to 13°S). Species discrimination...

Most asteroid species reproduce sexually, developing planktotrophic or lecithotrophic larvae or brooding offspring. Some fissiparous species, like Coscinasterias tenuispina, have a mixed life history with both sexual and asexual reproduction. A population of C. tenuispina at Itaipu (22° 59′ S, 43° 04′ W) is dense and consists only of males larger t...

Over large areas of the Brazilian continental shelf, coralline algal rhodoliths provide habitats with high community diversity. In order to understand the role of rhodoliths in structuring the poorly studied infauna of these habitats, we determined seasonal patterns of their size and shape related to the associated biota, and experimentally tested...

The Baía da Ilha Grande (BIG) was characterized as extremely rich in benthic species, reef and beach associated fish. The BIG is found in a unique oceanographic situation and its biodiversity is subjected to a series of human pressures. This situation means that the BIG is very important for the conservation, sustainable use and the distribution of...

In the Brazilian coast, high numbers of the small brittle star Ophiactis savignyi usually live associated with the sponge Geodia corticostylifera (Demospongiae, Geodidae), but not with other sympatric sponge species. In order to check whether this association was related only with the physical shelter provided by the sponge body or was chemically m...

Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758) é um equinóide regular que apresenta a carapaça e os espinhos com coloração variando de marrom escuro a negro. Os espinhos são finos e com a ponta esbranquiçada. É uma espécie exclusivamente litorânea que ocorre ao longo da costa atlântica da América do Sul (da Venezuela até a foz do Rio Prata, Argentina), no Mediter...

Cassidulus mitis Krau, 1954 is an endemic species from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To study the reproductive cycle of this species, samples were collected at Praia Vermelha, in Guanabara Bay, from October 1998 to April 2000. The sex ratio for C. mitis was 1:1, and reproduction occurred throughout the year. The gonadal index of males was greater than th...

Reproduction of Asterina stellifera was studied in two populations from the Cabo Frio region, southeastern Brazil. One was located in an intertidal seagrass flat at Japonês Island (1994–1995); the second was on a sublittoral rocky shore at Pontal beaches (1999–2000). Reproductive cycle was studied at monthly intervals by organ indices and histologi...

An intertidal population of the fissiparous sea star Coscinasterias tenuispina (Lamarck, 1816) was sampled over a 1 year period at Ponta de Itaipu, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. Gonadal indices revealed an annual reproductive cycle. Spawning occurred in the late winter and early spring between August and November. Pyloric caecal indices did not show a c...

The spatial distribution of bivalve molluscs and its relation to granulometry and to the percentage of organic matter and silt-clay were studied in the Saco do Céu Inlet. Bivalves and samples of sediment were collected in 39 stations, in January and July 1992, using a 0.1 m2 Petersen grab. The type of sediment varied from very fine to coarse sand....

A distribuição espacial dos bivalves e sua relação com a granulometria e os teores de matéria orgânica e silte-argila foram estudados no Saco do Céu. Obteve-se amostras de fauna e sedimento em 39 estações nos meses de janeiro e julho de 1992, utilizando-se um busca-fundo de Petersen de 0,1 m2. O sedimento variou de areia fina a areia grossa. Foram...

The size, structure, and density of a population of Lytechinus variegatus were recorded from a shallow seagrass bed (Halodule wrightii) at 40-day intervals from April 1994 to April 1995. A local mass mortality was observed in May 1994. The density declined from 0.57±0.10 to 0.06±0.05 ind.m, mean size declined from 37.6±0.49 to 16.2±2.14 mm and maxi...

Monthly collections of Astropecten brasiliensis were made at depths of 30 and 45 m. The highest number of prey in the stomach occured in summer in both 1987 and 1988. Specimens larger than4 cm in radius had mature gonads. The reproductive cycle was determined by gonad indices and histological analysis of gonads. In 1988, the species exhibited an an...

Sampling of paxillosid seastars by 20-min trawls was made monthly at depths of 30, 45 and 60 m, from January, 1986 to December 1988. Bottom water and sediments were analyzed. Four thousand one hundred twenty-one individuals comprising five species were collected: Astropecten cingulatus (54.6%); A. brasiliensis (26.4%); Luidia ludwigi scotti (18.9%)...