Abstract
Recent studies of reef fauna near La Paz bay and Loreto bay in the Gulf of California have promoted interest in recognize the assemblages of invertebrates close to the reefs. Crustaceans that inhabit coral heads have received little attention because of their small size. Additionally, the methods used in evaluating the reef community need to be carefully managed to avoid damaging the corals. A list of forty-four decapods species found at La Paz and Loreto areas is presented. Quarterly sampling trips were made from May 2004 to July 2008. At each area, six sites were selected because the coral substrate covered a suitable area. The marked survey sites were traversed by a SCUBA diver and censuses of conspicuous invertebrates were made. Attempts to avoid disturbing any aspect of the habitat was of primary importance. Of the 44 species recorded, just 20 species were common to both areas. Species richness for the two areas showed 70.9% similarity. Range extensions and new records for some species are presented.References
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