Identification—Massive crusts (1-3 cm thick) with irregularly shaped branches or lobes (3-10 cm high, 1-3 cm thick).
PHYLUM CNIDARIA
Identification – Colonies are bushy and elongated branches are robust, flattened and elliptical in cross-section.
PHYLUM NEMERTEA
Identification - Olive to green to yellow-green heterone-mertean, occasionally with a faint brown lattice pattern on the dorsal surface. Identification—Heteronemertean with yellow dorsal and white to pale yellow ventral surfaces; anterior with white tip and posterior with caudal cirrus. Identification—Larger brown heteronemertean with distinct white "V" marking on cephalic lobe and completely white longitudinal band.
Identification—The colorful but filamentous hoplonemertean is hard to miss; black to deep purple with orange and yellow solid stripes and a blue iridescent dashed line down the middle of the back and four irregular rows of tiny red eyes. Identification - A cream to white monostyliferous hoplonemertean with paired purple-red dots along the median dorsal surface surrounded by lines and several spots. Identification - Orange to pink monoliferous hoplone-merteans with extremely short snout, stylet just behind the brain, usually with a pair of eyes, juveniles may have two pairs.
Distribution – Panama and worldwide; adults on crab egg masses, often in parchment-like tubes in gill chambers and between pleopods; juveniles usually on developing crab eggs. Identification - Yellow-orange to brownish monostiferan hoplonerteans, solidly built, with dorsal mid-head ridge, four irregular rows of well-developed dark eyes, sometimes with poorly developed secondary grooves related to the cerebral organ grooves in the head; often capable of eel-like swimming when irritated. Identification - Yellow-orange polystyliferan hoplonemerteans, stout in body, with dorsal mid-head ridge, four rows of well-developed dark eyes and well-developed secondary grooves related to the cerebral organ grooves in the head; often capable of eel-like swimming when irritated.
PHYLUM SIPUNCULA
Distribution—Widespread in the Caribbean and tropical eastern Pacific; subtidal on coral rubble (also reported from mangrove root mats); very common in Bocas del Toro. Identification - Relatively large (often 4-5 cm) with up to 35 longitudinal muscle bands that are usually easily visible through the body wall. Distribution-Pantropic in shallow waters; burrowing in coral rubble (but also reported from mangrove root mats in Belize); quite common.
Distribution: Western Atlantic and Caribbean; subtidal; digging in coral rubble (but also reported from mangrove root mats in Belize); very common in Bocas del Toro. Identification—Easily recognized by the cone-shaped anal shield, often covered with coral or other algae. Distribution: western Pacific, Caribbean and western Atlantic; subtidal; digging in coral rubble; very common in Bocas del Toro.
Distribution – Cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical waters; intertidal and shallow subtidal in crevices of coral rubble or soft rock; very common in Bocas del Toro. Identification: Outer shell, translucent, fragile, elongated, with a series of spiral stripes more visible near the anterior and posterior tips. Distribution – Widespread in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, from the Azores to Cape Verde on the eastern coast and from the southern Caribbean to Brazil on the western coast; intertidal area up to 50 m depth; unusual.
Distribution—Circumptropical, in the western Atlantic from Florida to Brazil; locally abundant with seasonal population bursts. Distribution—Widely distributed in the western Atlantic from Bermuda to southern Brazil; usual; intertidal up to 10 m depth. Identification-Body oval to oblong, clear translucent color, covered with dark white and dark brown spots.
Distribution - Western Atlantic from the southern Caribbean to Brazil; this is the first record from Panama; unusual;. Distribution—Circumtropical, in the western Atlantic known only from Florida; this is the first record from the Caribbean coast of Panama; unusual; subtidal.
PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA
Notes—Extremely abundant in Bocas del Toro, even more so elsewhere in the Caribbean, where it almost covers many sponges.
PHYLUM UROCHORDATA Ascidia curvata (Traustedt, 1882)
Notes – It is probably an introduced species in Bocas del Toro and one of the two specimens was on a pipe (man-made structure). Notes – The body wall is very delicate and difficult to remove from the substrate. Distribution - Found on mangrove roots in Bocas del Toro, its geographic distribution includes Guadeloupe and Belize.
Distribution - Found on mangrove roots in Bocas del Toro, the geographic range includes shallow waters of the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Identification - The colony is like a bouquet of clavate and yellow zooids, up to 4 cm thick. Distribution - Found only on coral reefs in Bocas del Toro and geographic range includes the Caribbean, Bermudas and most of the world's warm waters.
Distribution—Found only on coral reefs in Bocas del Toro, usually on lateral or overhanging surfaces. Identification—The only colony found was half pink and half dark green with a smooth surface and conspicuous cloaca cavities. Distribution—Found only on mangrove roots in Bocas del Toro, the geographic range includes Belize, Curaçao, Guadeloupe, Bermuda, and Brazil.
Comments: The color of the colony depends on the amount of calcareous spicules on the surface. Distribution – Only found on coral reefs in Bocas del Toro. Its geographic range includes Florida, Bermuda, many Caribbean islands, the Guianas and Brazil. Comments: The large size and very open apical siphons help identify the species in the field.
Identification—Individuals (4-5 cm long) are usually covered by encrustations and can be recognized by the iridescent bluish lining of the siphons. Distribution—Found only on mangrove roots in Bocas del Toro, the geographic range includes many Caribbean islands and Brazil. Identification—The only individual found was small (2 cm wide), almost round, with a wrinkled red tunic and yellow stripes on the siphons.
