Coastal Amphipods of Bahía Málaga and Bahía Buenaventura in the Colombian Eastern Tropical Pacific

Objectives: Characterize the amphipods collected at six coastal sites in the central Colombian Pacific. Scope: Increase biodiversity knowledge of a poorly studied group in the Colombian Pacific, but of great importance in benthic ecosystems. Methodology: Amphipod biodiversity was characterized in Bahía Málaga (intertidal and subtidal rocky shores, and sandy beaches) and Bahía Buenaventura (intertidal rocky shores, mangrove roots, and sandy beaches), two important estuaries in the central Pacific coast of Colombia. Results: Sixteen species in eleven families were found; Hourstonius baciroa, Leptocheirus rhizophorae, Leucothoe alata, Elasmopus ocoroni, Melita bousfieldi, and Neomegamphopus heardi represent new records for Colombia. Conclusions: This study significantly increases knowledge of amphipod biodiversity in coastal ecosystems of the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and highlights that systematic studies should be carried out to better understand the ecological function of this group in the Colombian Pacific.