Minding the gap on the taxonomic diversity of Crinoidea (Echinodermata) in Brazil

About 670 living species of crinoids occur worldwide and only 20 species have been discovered in Brazil waters to date. Most of these occurrences were reported by 1800s and 1900s expeditions and crinoid-focused studies undertaken by Brazilian researchers are limited to a few publications1–3, none of which include new species, thorough morphological descriptions, or high-quality imaging. Taxonomic revisions focused on other echinoderm classes in recent years have revealed a hidden diversity of new species, which strongly suggests that the Brazilian crinoid biodiversity is underestimated. Also, several taxonomic problems in this class remain unsolved. This project aims to advance our knowledge of the taxonomic diversity of Crinoidea by reviewing all reported Brazilian species and neglected specimens in museum collections. Equipe: Luciana Martins (coordenadora); Camilla Souto (colaboradora); Túlio Souza (undergraduate student). Grant: LinnéSys Systematics Research Fund