Biomonitoring of the Marine Communities Near the City’s Ocean Sewage Outfalls off O’ahu, Hawai’i

SPONSOR:
City and County of Honolulu

PROJECT PERIOD:
2013

ABSTRACT:
A survey of the capitellids from the Hawaiian Islands has yielded 16 species in seven genera, most represent new records and two species are newly described, Notodasus dasybranchoides sp. nov. and Scyphoproctus edmondsoni sp. nov. The species Capitella minima, Capitellethus cinctus andScyphoproctus pullielloides are the most common and widely distributed capitellids in Hawaii, present in subtidal sediments surrounding outfall diffusers and also at reference locations. The species Mediomastus californiensis and Capitella giardi may have been introduced to Oahu from different sources, the former is abundant in soft sediments of Honolulu and Pearl Harbors and the latter is found associated with commercial oysters in muddy ponds. The genera Branchiocapitella and Pulliella are considered herein as synonyms of Capitella and Scyphoproctus, respectively. This paper is the first comprehensive study of the Hawaiian capitellids and all species are described and illustrated with line drawings, color and SEM photographs. A key to all 16 capitellid species found in shallow waters from the main Hawaiian islands is provided.