Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Report on the International Indian Ocean Expedition collections of Cumacea in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.

Volume 22 Issue 1&2

A. Radhadevi and C. V. Kurian

Abstract

The studies on the Cumacea obtained by the International Indian Ocean Expedition deposited in the Smithsonian Institution suggest that the Cumacean fauna along the east coast of Africa (Durban Bay, Nossi-Be-Madagascar, Grand Comoro Island) is very rich. They show affinities with those of Australian and Phillippine Coasts. Family Nannastacidae is widely distributed along the east coast of Africa, Malaya Coast and Singapore Strait. It is also noted that most of them were obtained from shallow waters. Only very few species are restricted to deeper regions. Campylaspis orientalis Caiman, C. rubincunda (Lilljeborg) are distributed at 2125 m depth off Madagascar.

The specimens are mostly benthic and they are abundant in a fine sandy bottom with a small percentage of silt and are rare in coarse and fine muddy deposits. Sometimes they occur in sand which contains soft and hard corals, sponges and Sargassum. Nannastacus gibbosus is present in large numbers at Palau Hantu (S. W. Singapore). The benthic collections from the Red Sea show that Schizotrema aculeata prefers a sandy bottom in a very shallow depth. It is also noted that two species namely Nannastacus longirostris and Cumella limicola which had been previously described from Mediterraenan Coasts are widely distributed in the Nossi-Be-Madagascar area. Cumella limicola is known from west coast of Africa also.

The ecological habitat of the Cumacean fauna of the east coast of Africa are essentially intertidal rocks, large masses of compacted mud rocks, coral and rook patches on the hard sandy bottom with coral reefs and mangroves. Leucon sp. and Hemilamprops sp. are quite common in the Durban Bay, while Nannastacus sp. are observed from Nossi-Be-Madagascar areas and Singapore Coast.

Date : 31-12-1980