ABSTRACT
For the first time, in 1998 and 2001 two expeditions were made to explore the whole width of the Caribbean Sea in Colombia, one at the continental shelf (20-150 m) and the other on the continental slope (20-100), increasing the knowledge of the marine biodiversity not only from Colombia but from the Caribbean Sea in general, by the fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, corals and echinoderms collection that were not known in this area and in some cases that were new for the science. Among these groups were highlighted, because their abundance and richness, the echinoderms that included 17 Crinoids, 43 Asteroids, 62 Ophiuroids, 28 Echinoids and 18 Holothuroids for a total of 168 species that belong to 115 genera, 53 families and 22 orders. In this work there are shown zoogeographical considering of the echinoderms species and it is highlighted a first record for Atlantic Ocean, four for the Caribbean Sea, 47 (28%) for the South Caribbean and 38 (23%) for the Colombian Caribbean. A huge percentage of species are registered by first time for the South Caribbean, most of these were only known for the Gulf of Mexico and the Antilles. That is why this work increases knowledge about this group distribution at the Caribbean Sea, which provides basic information to confirm zoogeographical patterns in this region. This high number of records reflects the few studies of this group made at the continental portion of the Caribbean Sea and Colombia, as well as the research increase and consequently, of the knowledge that is being developed in this area.
