Open AccessNew distribution record of a true coral species, Psammocora contigua (Esper, 1794) from Gulf of Kachchh Marine National Park & Sanctuary, India
Author(s) -
R. Chandran,
R. Senthil Kumaran,
Dushyant Vasavada,
Nisheeth Joshi,
Osman G. Husen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of threatened taxa
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.264
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 0974-7907
pISSN - 0974-7893
DOI - 10.11609/jott.6851.13.14.20266-20271
Subject(s) - coral , reef , coral reef , environmental issues with coral reefs , ecology , geography , habitat , oceanography , aquaculture of coral , national park , fishery , geology , biology
Reef-building corals are generally confined to tropical waters across the world oceans. But some coral species are able to tolerate even inhospitable environments and suboptimal extremes, and form lower diversity reefs habitats such as the Gulf of Kachchh, located along the northwestern coast of India. Among the reported hard coral species so far from the Gulf of Kachchh, genus Psammocora is represented by only one species, P. digitata. The present study confirmed a new distribution record of Psammocora contigua from Narara Island. Due to the changing hydro-geographic conditions in the Kachchh region, ramose and branching coral species have been believed to be extinct completely, leaving no sign of live colonies. P. contigua, recorded during the present study is the only living species with ramose growth form recorded so far from the Kachchh waters. The present study also holds out hope to record more new coral species records from the region.