Approximately how many coral reef associated marine invertebrate species are widespread across the tropical Indo-Pacific?
I wish that I could use All relevant databases and museum records. to obtain the following data: Geographic species range data for all non-vertebrate animal phyla that are found on coral reefs and are cosmopolitan throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific. in order to answer the following biological research question:
Approximately how many coral reef associated marine invertebrate species are widespread across the tropical Indo-Pacific?
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John Horne commented on "Approximately how many coral reef associated marine invertebrate species are widespread across the tropical Indo-Pacific?":
To answer Barbara's question, the size of a species geographic range is a biological feature of importance. Generally, species with large geographic ranges and high dispersal are expected to be less likely to go extinct than species with small geographic ranges and low dispersal. The fossil record of marine invertebrates, such as mollusks and corals that leave behind durable remains, supports this idea. As we look forward to the future, and the gradual demise of coral reef ecosystems understanding the factors that determine species ranges and dispersal are going to be highly relevant to conservation efforts, and to evolutionary ecology. john.horne@gmail.com
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Jon Norenburg commented on "Approximately how many coral reef associated marine invertebrate species are widespread across the tropical Indo-Pacific?":
For many of the difficult invertebrate phyla most of the species are known only from the type locality, often from single specimens. In many cases it seems to be because we haven't looked elsewhere adequately, but reconciling old species descriptions with newly collected material can be very difficult as well. This wish is one reason why I want to switch to Scratchpads, so I can start collecting specimen-based data and have it available for others to use.
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Barbara Bauer commented on "Approximately how many coral reef associated marine invertebrate species are widespread across the tropical Indo-Pacific?":
@Jennifer Hammock: This seems to be one of the wishes that are the most straightforward- and realistic- to answer. I woud be interested in hearing more about how that information would be useful for biogeographers- and other researchers.
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Jennifer Hammock commented on "Approximately how many coral reef associated marine invertebrate species are widespread across the tropical Indo-Pacific?":
From the author:
"To the best of our knowledge, there are about 492 species of tropical coral reef ray-finned fishes that are cosmopolitan throughout the tropical and subtropical waters on the Indian and Pacific oceans, excepting a few very remote and isolated peripheral localities, such as Easter Island. This is nearly ten percent of the estimated 5,000 coral reef fish species world wide. It is also known that the Coral Triangle, the uncontested seat of marine biodiversity is home to about 3919 reef fish species and that 40% of all coral reef fishes have species ranges that are greater than nine million km squared.
The same information is dismally lacking in marine invertebrate groups. Obviously one reason is because of the work involved in accumulating the data on the vast number of marine phyla found on coral reefs, biogeographic data that is scattered widely, and records that are incomplete. Nevertheless, this would be some very useful information to marine biogeographers."
