Scientists have recorded four species of azooxanthellate corals for the first time from Indian waters. These are; Truncatoflabellum crassum, T. incrustatum , T. aculeatum , and T. irregulare.
- All the four groups of corals are from the same family Flabellidae.
- These new corals were found from the waters of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- All the four species were previously found from Japan to the Philippines and Australian waters while only T. crassum was reported within the range of Indo-West Pacific distribution including the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf.
Azooxanthellate and zooxanthellate
- Azooxanthellate corals are a group of hard corals and the four new records are not only solitary but have a highly compressed skeletal structure.
- Azooxanthellate corals are a group of corals that do not contain zooxanthellae and derive nourishment not from the sun but from capturing different forms of plankton.
- These groups of corals are deep-sea representatives, with the majority of species reporting from between 200 m to 1000 m.
- Their occurrences are also reported from shallow coastal waters. Zooxanthellate corals, meanwhile, are restricted to shallow waters.
Coral reefs in India
- Coral reefs are one of the most productive, sustainable and pristine ecosystems of the world’s oceans, especially in shallow coastal waters.
- There are about 570 species of hard corals found in India and almost 90% of them are found in the waters surrounding Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The pristine and oldest ecosystem of corals share less than 1% of the earth’s surface but they provide a home to nearly 25% of marine life.
- According to the ESSO – INCOIS, coral reefs are present in the areas of Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep Islands and Malvan.
- In India, they are protected in the same way as the tiger or elephant, under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972.
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