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Indian Lecanidae (Rotifera: Eurotatoria: Monogononta) and its distribution
Author(s) -
Sharma Bhushan Kumar,
Sharma Sumita
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.201301702
Subject(s) - holarctic , taxon , biodiversity , biogeography , tamil , geography , ecology , west bengal , endemism , diversity (politics) , bengal , cosmopolitan distribution , global biodiversity , biology , archaeology , socioeconomics , genus , anthropology , philosophy , linguistics , bay , sociology
Taxonomic status of the Lecanidae of India is evaluated based on our collections and the published reports, and an annotated check‐list of 83 species is presented. These comprise nearly 41.0% of the global diversity of the taxon and ∼21.0% of the known species of Indian Rotifera. Biogeographically interesting lecanids include two Australian and Asian; eight Oriental endemic; four Indian endemic; eight Holarctic; two arctic‐temperate and five paleotropical elements, while several species exhibit regional distributional importance. Three species are new to India and the rare L. bulla diabolica is new to northeast India. The diversity pattern of the Indian Lecanidae is predominantly tropical, and has a moderate endemicity. The lecanids are studied in greater detail in certain states of northeast India and from the states of West Bengal (East India) and Tamil Nadu in South India; unfortunately, their diversity from other parts of this country, including the biodiversity important Himalayan region and Western Ghats, remains poorly known. Besides, analysis of cryptic diversity in the L. bulla , L hamata , L. leontina , L. ludwigii , L. lunaris , and L. quadridentata species group complexes deserves attention for further research on rotifer biogeography. Our conservative estimate of occurrence of nearly 100 species of Lecanidae in India merits biodiversity value.