Ecological Drivers of Kinorhynch Diversity in the Southern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Meiofaunal studies in both shelf and deep-water benthic habitats of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) have increased notably over the last decade, including research focused on specific taxa such as kinorhynchs. In this study, a grid of 63 sampling sites was sampled, covering depths from 49.7 to 3708 m and encompassing most of the southwestern GOM, to study the factors influencing meiofaunal distribution, which is fundamental to understanding marine ecosystem structure. We analyzed the diversity patterns of kinorhynchs in the southern Gulf of Mexico (sGOM) with two main objectives: (1) to describe the diversity of kinorhynchs collected from shallow to deep stations, and (2) to assess the effects of environmental variables on kinorhynch species richness and taxonomic composition. A total of 54 kinorhynchs were collected from 36 sites, representing 14 taxa distributed in one class: Cyclorhagida and three orders Kentrorhagata, Echinorhagata and Xenosomata. Order Echinorhagata was the most diverse and abundant, represented by the genera Echinoderes and Fissuroderes. Followed by order Kentrorhagata with genera Antygomonas, Centroderes, and Sphenoderes. Ecological analyses indicated a pattern toward a linking depth and granulometry with the structure of kinorhynch assemblages across the southern Gulf of Mexico.