Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India

Current status of intertidal Sea Urchins (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) in the rocky shores of Gujarat, India

Volume 66 Issue 2

Hitisha Baroliya and Rahul Kundu

doi:10.6024/jmbai.2024.66.2.2487-10

Abstract

The paper deals with the diversity, distribution and occurrence of intertidal Echinoidea from the rocky shores of Gujarat, India. The diversity of Echinoidea from the Gujarat coastline has not been studied for a long time. In the present study, two live Echinoidea species, Echinometra mathaei and Salmacis bicolor were recorded from the intertidal zones. From these two species, E. mathaei is the new record for the entire west coast of India. In Gujarat, this species was recorded from the intertidal areas of Veraval, Mangrol and Dwarka, the open coastline of Saurashtra, stretching about 300 km. Compared with previous literature, four species of intertidal Echinoidea, Echinometra mathaei, Salmacis bicolor, Temnopleurus toreumaticus and Peronella oblonga were known from the Gujarat coastline. However, only two Echinoidea species were recorded in the intertidal belt of the Gujarat coast in the current study.

Keywords

Sea urchin diversity, E. mathaei, rocky intertidal, Gujarat

Date : 25-11-2024