Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Opisthobranch (Mollusca: Gastropoda) fauna of Kerala, India: A citizen science initiative

Volume 59 Issue 1

B. K. Sneha Chandran, S. Shrinivaasu1, R. Ravinesh, P. Robert1, A. B. Aneesha2 and A. Biju Kumar

10.6024/jmbai.2017.59.1.1970-08

Abstract

Opisthobranchs are gastropod molluscs with highly diverse body forms, cryptic colouration, diets and habitats, and represent one of the least  studied molluscan taxa in India, especially along the southwest coast of India. This paper documents the presence of 15 species of nudibranchs under the families Chromodorididae, Discodorididae, Phyllidiidae and  Dendrodorididae from Kerala coast of India, including two new records to India and five new records to west coast of India as the first citizen  science initiative in India to document marine biodiversity. The new records to India include Hoplodoris bifurcata (Baba, 1993) and Hoplodoris flammea Fahey and Gosliner, 2003 (Discodorididae), both being recorded for the first time from the western Indian Ocean.

Keywords

Nudibranchs, sea slug, Goniobranchus, Hoplodoris, Indian Ocean, Kerala

Date : 30-06-2017