Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Meristic features of two allied species of Steginoporella Smitt, 1873 (Bryozoa) from Indian and the Antarctic waters

Volume 47 Issue 1

Soja Louis and N. R. Menon

Abstract

Faunistic features of the benthic regions of the Indian and Antarctic oceans are of interest since they throw light on influence of distribution and on the morphology of benthic organisms from varied environmental conditions of the two world oceans. The morphological variations accompanying environmental variability in one of the most distinctive groups of marine animals with structures exhibiting rigid calcareous and significant shear strength are established. Species diversity of the genus Steginoporella established by the present study queries the accepted circumtropical distributional concept of the micro benthos. 

Keywords

Indian and Antarctic ocean, species distribution, and meridtic variations in Bryozoa

Date : 30-06-2005