8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 149 



specimens. Norman F. Sohl of the U.S. Geological Survey dove with 

 P. M. Kier on an earlier expedition to the keys during which a pre- 

 liminary study of the echinoid fauna was made. Craig Pontin of the 

 Sea Center, Key Largo, ran the boat, provided accurate determina- 

 tions of location for each station, and made available his extensive and 

 detailed knowledge of bottom conditions and depths. Herb Pontin 

 was most kind in permitting use of his larger boat during rough 

 weather. The State of Florida gave permission to collect specimens 

 in John Pennekamp State Park. We thank Thomas Phelan, research 

 assistant at the U.S. National Museum, who helped in the preparation 

 and study of the collected specimens. The fish were identified by 

 John E. Randall, University of Puerto Rico Institute of Marine 

 Biology. 



The manuscript was reviewed critically by Dr. J. Wyatt Durham, 

 University of California, Dr. Peter Glynn, University of Puerto Rico 

 Institute of Marine Biology, and Dr. Richard S. Boardman, U.S. 

 National Museum, whom we thank for their many valuable 

 suggestions. 



ECHINOID DISTRIBUTION 



The southern part of the Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve and its 

 shoreward extension divide naturally into several major types of 

 environments determined by the nature of the bottom, depth of the 

 water, and distance from shore (table 1). These major environments 

 form bands between and roughly parallel to the shoreline and the 

 outer edge of the living coral reef. Hawk Channel, White Bank, and 

 various parts of the reef have formal names (fig. 2) ; other areas 

 have been given convenient field designations for purposes of this 

 discussion (fig.3). 



MAJOR ENVIRONMENTS 



Intcrtidal (rocky shore and exposed reef). — Rocky shore (stations 

 35, 42, 59, inshore end of station 9) depth (just off seawall) 2-4 feet 

 at midtide ; very steep, large rocks of dead coral, living alcyonarian 

 and anthozoan corals, large loggerhead sponges, sparse green algae, 

 abundant coralline algae and turtle grass extending to tidal edge. 

 Echinometra hicunter is abundant at station 59, in depths as shallow 

 as one foot at low tide ; Lyt echinus variegatus and Diadema antil- 

 larum also occupy the steep rock intertidal shore edge. 



Exposed reef (station 38) depth 2-6 feet, high tide; gently sloping 

 rocky bottom, rocks covered with thin algal slime. Echinoids are 



