Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Structure and generic diversity of recent scleractinia of India.

Volume 25 Issue 1&2

C. S. Gopinadha Pillai

Abstract

An updated check-list indicates that the Recent Scleractinian fauna of India, including Lakshadweep, Gulf of Kutch, Southeast coast of India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has a total of 199 species divided among 71 genera. Out of these, 50 genera and 155 species are hermatypes and the rest 44 species of 21 genera is ahermatypes. Lakshadweep is known to have a total of 31 genera with 78 species. A comprehensive list of coral from Gulf of Kutch is provided for the first time in this paper which includes 24 genera and 37 species. A total of 94 species divided among 37 genera is hitherto known from the southeast coast including Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar. The scleractinians of Andaman and Nicobar Islands include 59 genera and 135 species of which 47 genera with 100 species are hermatypes and the rest a hermatypes. The occurrence of the various species in the four major coral growing areas are indicated in the check-list. None of the genus is endemic. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands fauna is perhaps the richest both in number and diversity of elements, and includes a few genera and species which are less common in the Indo-Pacific, but recorded from the eastern Indian Ocean. The regional variations of the coral fauna of India is briefly discussed.

Date : 30-12-1983